It has beautifully landscaped gardens with fantastic miniature buildings and scenes, which are exact replicas of real places at sizes ranging from 1/12th right down to 1/100th of the original size.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Cockington Green Gardens - Canberra
I just have a short trip to Canberra. My favourite place is Cockington Green Gardens, which is is 15km north of the city on Gold Creek Road, at Gold Creek Village, 10 minutes from Canberra city.
It has beautifully landscaped gardens with fantastic miniature buildings and scenes, which are exact replicas of real places at sizes ranging from 1/12th right down to 1/100th of the original size.
It has beautifully landscaped gardens with fantastic miniature buildings and scenes, which are exact replicas of real places at sizes ranging from 1/12th right down to 1/100th of the original size.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Bullied gay teen - please hang on
A very moving speech by a city councilman in Forth Worth, Texas, pleading gay teens not to commit suicide... and ....please live long enough to create beautiful memories of their own.
Online: Burns' video on YouTube: http://bit.ly/bRTyvH
It is a very touching speech and ............ YES, I cannot agree more that bullying at school must stop. It should be a place that children and teens feel safe to go everyday, learning and be loved.
It is painful for families who lose their love ones. I wonder how the bully can live their lives thinking the pain that they have caused.
We cannot deny the fact that some bullies are young, and they may not have thought the words they used, action that they took, can be so Cruel, Painful, Unbearable.... and in the end... cause someone to think that it is better to leave the world.
It is very sad that we need someone to lose their life and many enough, before we all realise that "No, it is not ok.".
For teens who happens to join the bully and read this post.
- No, you don't need to be one of them to be popular at school.
- No, you don't need to be one of them to feel strong and be liked.
- Yes, we may not agree or understand what we see, especially things that are different to values we were taught since young, but you have no rights to hurt anyone intentionally. We need to keep an open mind.
- No one in this world is exactly the same. Even if you find him/her, I bet there is something you don't like/agree.
We are different in every way and please open your mind and heart to accept the fact that We Are Different and It is OK.
Online: Burns' video on YouTube: http://bit.ly/bRTyvH
It is a very touching speech and ............ YES, I cannot agree more that bullying at school must stop. It should be a place that children and teens feel safe to go everyday, learning and be loved.
It is painful for families who lose their love ones. I wonder how the bully can live their lives thinking the pain that they have caused.
We cannot deny the fact that some bullies are young, and they may not have thought the words they used, action that they took, can be so Cruel, Painful, Unbearable.... and in the end... cause someone to think that it is better to leave the world.
It is very sad that we need someone to lose their life and many enough, before we all realise that "No, it is not ok.".
For teens who happens to join the bully and read this post.
- No, you don't need to be one of them to be popular at school.
- No, you don't need to be one of them to feel strong and be liked.
- Yes, we may not agree or understand what we see, especially things that are different to values we were taught since young, but you have no rights to hurt anyone intentionally. We need to keep an open mind.
- No one in this world is exactly the same. Even if you find him/her, I bet there is something you don't like/agree.
We are different in every way and please open your mind and heart to accept the fact that We Are Different and It is OK.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
When I loved myself enough
I have read an interesting book today, "When I loved myself enough" by Kim McMillen with Alison McMillen.
I have extracted some powerful words from the book and I hope to remind every reader of this post what it means when loving ourselves enough.........
"When I loved myself enough........
... I bought a feather bed."
... I came to see I am not special but I am unique."
... I came to know I am worthy of knowing God directly."
... I learned to meet my own needs and not call it selfish".
... my heart became so tender it could welcome joy and sorrow equally."
... I no longer needed things or people to make me feel safe."
... I quit wishing my life looked some other way and began to see that as it is, my life serves my evolution."
... I quit projecting my strengths and weakness on to others and kept them as my own."
... I began seeing the abuse in trying to force something or someone who isn't ready - including myself."
... I began leaving whatever isn't healthy... people, jobs... anything that keep me small. My judgement called it disloyal. Now I see it as self-loving."
... I learned to say no when I want to and yes when I want to."
... I quit trying to be a saviour for others."
... I stop seeking experts and started living my life."
... I quit having to be right which makes being wrong meaningless."
... I forgave myself for all the times I thought I wasn't good enough."
Do you like what you see so far? There are more powerful and lovely statements in the book. I love reading the book. It reminds us to love ourselves... ENOUGH. Isn't there a good saying.... "You can't give what you don't have"
Start loving ourselves and start doing simple thing to love ourselves enough. Wondering where to start? How about making yourself a nice cup of coffee and watching your favourite DVD?
That is a start....
Join others who love the idea:
Facebook : http://en-gb.facebook.com/pages/When-I-Loved-Myself-Enough-3/117071565001534
Jenni who shares her own list on Blog: http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=9862737&blogId=471303864
I have extracted some powerful words from the book and I hope to remind every reader of this post what it means when loving ourselves enough.........
"When I loved myself enough........
... I bought a feather bed."
... I came to see I am not special but I am unique."
... I came to know I am worthy of knowing God directly."
... I learned to meet my own needs and not call it selfish".
... my heart became so tender it could welcome joy and sorrow equally."
... I no longer needed things or people to make me feel safe."
... I quit wishing my life looked some other way and began to see that as it is, my life serves my evolution."
... I quit projecting my strengths and weakness on to others and kept them as my own."
... I began seeing the abuse in trying to force something or someone who isn't ready - including myself."
... I began leaving whatever isn't healthy... people, jobs... anything that keep me small. My judgement called it disloyal. Now I see it as self-loving."
... I learned to say no when I want to and yes when I want to."
... I quit trying to be a saviour for others."
... I stop seeking experts and started living my life."
... I quit having to be right which makes being wrong meaningless."
... I forgave myself for all the times I thought I wasn't good enough."
Do you like what you see so far? There are more powerful and lovely statements in the book. I love reading the book. It reminds us to love ourselves... ENOUGH. Isn't there a good saying.... "You can't give what you don't have"
Start loving ourselves and start doing simple thing to love ourselves enough. Wondering where to start? How about making yourself a nice cup of coffee and watching your favourite DVD?
That is a start....
Join others who love the idea:
Facebook : http://en-gb.facebook.com/pages/When-I-Loved-Myself-Enough-3/117071565001534
Jenni who shares her own list on Blog: http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=9862737&blogId=471303864
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Bargain sites
1. Books
Buying first hand computing books can be expensive and hard to find, so, what are the alternatives? I tried to buy from Amazon, but interesting enough, there is no shipment to australia for the book I want.
Have a look at http://www.betterworldbooks.com/, you might find wide range of good priced books. I have bought from the website once, the book received was in good quality.
2. Others
How about bargain priced furnitures, electronics appliances? You might want to have a look at http://www.dealsdirect.com.au/ . There are wide ranges of goods, best of all, there are pictures with it. For goods like shelf, there is measurement details. So, it is good to know exactly what you purchase. Best of all, get the ideas of what is available before going out there start buying. I found it while surfing the net, so try it at your own risk.
Buying first hand computing books can be expensive and hard to find, so, what are the alternatives? I tried to buy from Amazon, but interesting enough, there is no shipment to australia for the book I want.
Have a look at http://www.betterworldbooks.com/, you might find wide range of good priced books. I have bought from the website once, the book received was in good quality.
2. Others
How about bargain priced furnitures, electronics appliances? You might want to have a look at http://www.dealsdirect.com.au/ . There are wide ranges of goods, best of all, there are pictures with it. For goods like shelf, there is measurement details. So, it is good to know exactly what you purchase. Best of all, get the ideas of what is available before going out there start buying. I found it while surfing the net, so try it at your own risk.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Flat vs Hierarchical Organisation Structure - Good or Bad
I used to work in multinational head office and never like it because of office politics. I think office politics is damaging. I think politics exist because of:
- power seeking;
- people involved have their own interest in mind; and
- breakdown of communications.
It brings in acts that are unproductive and waste of time and raises frustration among employees.
I started with my current employer when it was a small 25 employess company with 2 offices. One in Sydney and one in Melbourne. The Melbourne office have 8-9 employees.
It was a flat reporting strucutre where all employees report directly to the boss, who comes only once a month. We did have weekly teleconfence meeting for brief update of the week. Small office, everyone focus on his/her work, very relax environment. The only setback when we are not in main office, is, internal support, such as IT is slow. The good thing is, if there is any problem, we directly hightlight that to the boss personally.
My company is doing well and is expanding. New reporting hierarchical structure has been put in place. I report to a leader and he reports to the boss. We no longer meet weekly and the boss may not come every month as there are new offices set up at other states.
While the company is doing well, it is good to know my job is secured. I think it is effective that the boss focus on strategic decision that moves the company forward.
However, with the new structure in place, that means there is a gap with the boss, especially we don't see him in the same office. He relies more on others' input to make decision rather than own observations. I do hope there will be no office politics in future for reasons mentioned earlier.
So, is flat structure better than hierarchical structure?
It depends on the employees in the organisation. If the boss is not smart and sensitive enough to ask the right questions and detect hidden problem then either sturcture is bad.
Going back to the fundamentals:
- it works well if the employees' goals go along with the organisation goals/objectives;
- we are in the generation where Money is important, but Job Satisfaction carries the same if not more weight;
- we get defensive and disappointed when feeling not appreciated and misunderstood;
- it does take everyone's effort to respect the boundaries that each other have at work place.
An example will be my earlier post of the cheeky colleagues of mine taken my parking spot rudely. It is not a matter of car spot. It is a matter of being selfish and for own convenince, but affecting others.
So, let's see what comes next.
- power seeking;
- people involved have their own interest in mind; and
- breakdown of communications.
It brings in acts that are unproductive and waste of time and raises frustration among employees.
I started with my current employer when it was a small 25 employess company with 2 offices. One in Sydney and one in Melbourne. The Melbourne office have 8-9 employees.
It was a flat reporting strucutre where all employees report directly to the boss, who comes only once a month. We did have weekly teleconfence meeting for brief update of the week. Small office, everyone focus on his/her work, very relax environment. The only setback when we are not in main office, is, internal support, such as IT is slow. The good thing is, if there is any problem, we directly hightlight that to the boss personally.
My company is doing well and is expanding. New reporting hierarchical structure has been put in place. I report to a leader and he reports to the boss. We no longer meet weekly and the boss may not come every month as there are new offices set up at other states.
While the company is doing well, it is good to know my job is secured. I think it is effective that the boss focus on strategic decision that moves the company forward.
However, with the new structure in place, that means there is a gap with the boss, especially we don't see him in the same office. He relies more on others' input to make decision rather than own observations. I do hope there will be no office politics in future for reasons mentioned earlier.
So, is flat structure better than hierarchical structure?
It depends on the employees in the organisation. If the boss is not smart and sensitive enough to ask the right questions and detect hidden problem then either sturcture is bad.
Going back to the fundamentals:
- it works well if the employees' goals go along with the organisation goals/objectives;
- we are in the generation where Money is important, but Job Satisfaction carries the same if not more weight;
- we get defensive and disappointed when feeling not appreciated and misunderstood;
- it does take everyone's effort to respect the boundaries that each other have at work place.
An example will be my earlier post of the cheeky colleagues of mine taken my parking spot rudely. It is not a matter of car spot. It is a matter of being selfish and for own convenince, but affecting others.
So, let's see what comes next.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
It is not how long you work
"I am working hard.... long hours.... but don't feel appreciated.............."
Sounds familiar?
Well, it is time to realise it is not how long you work, but the return of the time you spent. A good worker does not always mean the one who arrives work early at 8am and leave late.
Cruel reality but it is true.
The fact is:
- when you cannot resolve a problem, it may be a good idea to stop and work on other tasks. You might see the light after a short break. It works extremely well for me when looking at a programs that I develop for so long and I can't see a simple mistake.
- If you are working on number crunching / formulas/ programs, it is worth writing simple list of possible solutions on paper and tick as you go. I found myself lost track of what I have tested after a long while.
Ultimately, it will be satisfactory only if there is a solution.
Well, when there is no solution, we only says "I have tried my best".
- No one will pay good money for something that they don't find value in. When asking for pay rise, focusing on what value you bring to the company, not how long you work every day.
Seriously, it is not worth it when getting good money, but no time to spend it.
No wonder job satisfaction is important nowadays. Just imagine we are underpaid to work late with no satisfaction.
That will be really groomy............. Sigh......
Sounds familiar?
Well, it is time to realise it is not how long you work, but the return of the time you spent. A good worker does not always mean the one who arrives work early at 8am and leave late.
Cruel reality but it is true.
The fact is:
- when you cannot resolve a problem, it may be a good idea to stop and work on other tasks. You might see the light after a short break. It works extremely well for me when looking at a programs that I develop for so long and I can't see a simple mistake.
- If you are working on number crunching / formulas/ programs, it is worth writing simple list of possible solutions on paper and tick as you go. I found myself lost track of what I have tested after a long while.
Ultimately, it will be satisfactory only if there is a solution.
Well, when there is no solution, we only says "I have tried my best".
- No one will pay good money for something that they don't find value in. When asking for pay rise, focusing on what value you bring to the company, not how long you work every day.
Seriously, it is not worth it when getting good money, but no time to spend it.
No wonder job satisfaction is important nowadays. Just imagine we are underpaid to work late with no satisfaction.
That will be really groomy............. Sigh......
Telemarketing - does it work
"Ring ring ring.............. Ring ring ring......................"
I just got into the door, and heard my house phone ring. I picked up the phone, guess what......
"Good afternoon, madam, how are you?"
"I am good, thanks"
"I am calling to offer you the service to block all telemarketing calls. Once you register with us, the telemarketers cannot call your house phone. It is illegal that they contact you once you register with us..,... "
All sounds good..............
The caller keep talking, then he asked for my name, confirm my address and then ... mobile phone number....
Ok, do you see what is missing here? There was no mention of cost by the caller... and.. why would I give my mobile number to a stranger?
"How much will that cost me?
".. Oh.... that is a very good question. Just let me explain... once you register with us, it will block all telemarketing calls, charity etc etc and you will only receive calls from your friends and relatives.."
"Ok... how much will that cost me?
Knowing he can't get away with it.... "that will only costs you $49.95 and it will block all telelmarketing calls..... "
Sigh.........
- He has just wasted my and his time;
- It is real hard work for telemarketers. He must have made so many calls and getting impatient;
- By the way... I still don't know which company he calls from;
Typical response to telemarketing calls is "No thanks, I am not interested". Worst of all, probably just hang up the phone.
So, does telemarketing really work?
With so many scam out there, I will suggest not to give out your details, and be careful before engaging the service, when we have no idea of the caller.
Even if I remember the company, we don't even know whether he actually comes from the company he claims.
So.... think twice before engaging the service.
I just got into the door, and heard my house phone ring. I picked up the phone, guess what......
"Good afternoon, madam, how are you?"
"I am good, thanks"
"I am calling to offer you the service to block all telemarketing calls. Once you register with us, the telemarketers cannot call your house phone. It is illegal that they contact you once you register with us..,... "
All sounds good..............
The caller keep talking, then he asked for my name, confirm my address and then ... mobile phone number....
Ok, do you see what is missing here? There was no mention of cost by the caller... and.. why would I give my mobile number to a stranger?
"How much will that cost me?
".. Oh.... that is a very good question. Just let me explain... once you register with us, it will block all telemarketing calls, charity etc etc and you will only receive calls from your friends and relatives.."
"Ok... how much will that cost me?
Knowing he can't get away with it.... "that will only costs you $49.95 and it will block all telelmarketing calls..... "
Sigh.........
- He has just wasted my and his time;
- It is real hard work for telemarketers. He must have made so many calls and getting impatient;
- By the way... I still don't know which company he calls from;
Typical response to telemarketing calls is "No thanks, I am not interested". Worst of all, probably just hang up the phone.
So, does telemarketing really work?
With so many scam out there, I will suggest not to give out your details, and be careful before engaging the service, when we have no idea of the caller.
Even if I remember the company, we don't even know whether he actually comes from the company he claims.
So.... think twice before engaging the service.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Cheeky collegue at work
Cheeky : "it is a word used to describe someone who does something or says something sort of rude / disrespectful".
I used it regularly and most of the times, it refers to my friends who do somethings funny but not harmful
However, in the following incidence, cheeky is not funny at all.
I work as as a consultant and am allocated a car spot at work, as 85% of my work is from the office. I share that spot with my colleague (Belinda). Whenever I am not in the office, I let her know to avoid her looking and paying for meter parking. There is no private parking around the area.
Another naughty colleague of mine, Jon, often takes the spot at his own discretion without letting either of us know in advance.
Belinda has confronted him and explained that the spot is allocated and he should not take it. If he really needs it, he should at least let me know so that I have coins with me to pay for meter parking.
Jon think it should be first come first serve and he has permission from his manager that it is ok to park.
He probably genuinely think that he has the point, which I think he is such a bully.
It is not a matter of car spot. I think he is so disrespectful.
- I was allocated the spot. If he needs the spot, out of courtesy, why shouldn't I be informed?
- who is he to make the rules?
- if it should be first come first serve, it should applies to all employees. It is not a car spot reserved for someone who makes his own rules.
- if he thinks it is unfair, speak to the boss who has made the decision to allocate the spot. Don't be a cheeky smart ass.
- He is not sorry at all because he think he has the points.
What makes it more annoying......... I see a whole day street parking, but have to get some coins change. By the time I get back, it is taken. So, he has turned his problem to mine.
How cheeky, selfish, annoying, self-center he is?............... VERY VERY MUCH SO............
I used it regularly and most of the times, it refers to my friends who do somethings funny but not harmful
However, in the following incidence, cheeky is not funny at all.
I work as as a consultant and am allocated a car spot at work, as 85% of my work is from the office. I share that spot with my colleague (Belinda). Whenever I am not in the office, I let her know to avoid her looking and paying for meter parking. There is no private parking around the area.
Another naughty colleague of mine, Jon, often takes the spot at his own discretion without letting either of us know in advance.
Belinda has confronted him and explained that the spot is allocated and he should not take it. If he really needs it, he should at least let me know so that I have coins with me to pay for meter parking.
Jon think it should be first come first serve and he has permission from his manager that it is ok to park.
He probably genuinely think that he has the point, which I think he is such a bully.
It is not a matter of car spot. I think he is so disrespectful.
- I was allocated the spot. If he needs the spot, out of courtesy, why shouldn't I be informed?
- who is he to make the rules?
- if it should be first come first serve, it should applies to all employees. It is not a car spot reserved for someone who makes his own rules.
- if he thinks it is unfair, speak to the boss who has made the decision to allocate the spot. Don't be a cheeky smart ass.
- He is not sorry at all because he think he has the points.
What makes it more annoying......... I see a whole day street parking, but have to get some coins change. By the time I get back, it is taken. So, he has turned his problem to mine.
How cheeky, selfish, annoying, self-center he is?............... VERY VERY MUCH SO............
Thursday, July 22, 2010
You and Relationships (The Circles - by Kerry Armstrong)
I have recently read a book "The Circles" by Kerry Armstrong, and would like to share that with you. It is a tiny little book with only a few lines each page and easy to follow.
If you are puzzled about life and confused with relationships around you, this is a simple guide to sort out your feelings. There are seven circles and you slowly putting down the names of people in your life according to where they fit in. There is no right or wrong answer, just go with your instincts and sort out your feelings with people arounds you. It is about You.
Below are some wise statements in the book that I would like to share and hope to encourage you to read the book for yourself :
"Sometimes we take people who love us for granted and spend more energy trying to please or impress new and exciting people".
"Benefit others. If you can't benefit others, at least don't harm them." (Dalai Lama).
"I just had to realise how to not only be me, but how to let myself be.. and let everyone else in my life just be".
"We all want to feel good about ourselves........ Sometimes, how we feel about ourselves depends on how we let other people affect us...... Belonging to a group where you feel afraid to be yourself can be unsettling, sometimes even humiliatiing".
"You may end up feeling lonelier with the wrong people than you did on your own.... "
If you are puzzled about life and confused with relationships around you, this is a simple guide to sort out your feelings. There are seven circles and you slowly putting down the names of people in your life according to where they fit in. There is no right or wrong answer, just go with your instincts and sort out your feelings with people arounds you. It is about You.
Below are some wise statements in the book that I would like to share and hope to encourage you to read the book for yourself :
"Sometimes we take people who love us for granted and spend more energy trying to please or impress new and exciting people".
"Benefit others. If you can't benefit others, at least don't harm them." (Dalai Lama).
"I just had to realise how to not only be me, but how to let myself be.. and let everyone else in my life just be".
"We all want to feel good about ourselves........ Sometimes, how we feel about ourselves depends on how we let other people affect us...... Belonging to a group where you feel afraid to be yourself can be unsettling, sometimes even humiliatiing".
"You may end up feeling lonelier with the wrong people than you did on your own.... "
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Communication online
Internet is a great creation. Majority of us at least use it an hour or two a day.
We read news, research, email, go to facebook, and drop a few lines for friends... you name it. It has become so important in our life.
If you ask a question of: what do you do on your day off, you normally get an answer like, sleeping in, shopping, suffing the net etc etc.
Interesting enough, I just type 'what to do on day off', the list just goes on for more than 12 pages. Not that we spend time defining what is day off, but rather, many of us post our stories and thoughts online.
Instead of catching up with friends after work or study, we need some quiet time, thinking time, relaxing time. Reading other blogs allows us to share same interests, frustration, solutions. It opens the social network for the less outgoing fellows. We can think twice before posting comments and erase it as and when we want.
Althought it is easy and convenient, remember to stay in touch with real people around you.
When your husband/wife/partner/girlfriend/boyfriend are complaining that you spend too much time on the net, it is time for you start communicating. Of course, never never call him/her a whinger..... before you know it............ TROUBLES COME...........
We read news, research, email, go to facebook, and drop a few lines for friends... you name it. It has become so important in our life.
If you ask a question of: what do you do on your day off, you normally get an answer like, sleeping in, shopping, suffing the net etc etc.
Interesting enough, I just type 'what to do on day off', the list just goes on for more than 12 pages. Not that we spend time defining what is day off, but rather, many of us post our stories and thoughts online.
Instead of catching up with friends after work or study, we need some quiet time, thinking time, relaxing time. Reading other blogs allows us to share same interests, frustration, solutions. It opens the social network for the less outgoing fellows. We can think twice before posting comments and erase it as and when we want.
Althought it is easy and convenient, remember to stay in touch with real people around you.
When your husband/wife/partner/girlfriend/boyfriend are complaining that you spend too much time on the net, it is time for you start communicating. Of course, never never call him/her a whinger..... before you know it............ TROUBLES COME...........
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Thursday, July 1, 2010
A couple of hours help
I have recently caught up with Amy (yes.... I know I know, finally). As usual, we talked about everything, and of course, whinging about work.
She works 4 days a week. Sometimes, she could be contacted on her day off, which is all good. However, she finds it really frustrating at times when she was told her assistance Might Be needed for a couple of hours by logging on remotely to her office, without telling her the estimated schedule, not even morning or afternoon.
Firstly, it is her day off.
Secondly, she believes that to be a supportive team member, she should help. However, it is really hard to plan her day, when she does not know whether her help will Really be required. If so, when.
Well, if she is going to stays at home waiting, might as well not having the day off. It is bearable for such situation once or twice but definitely not constantly.
So, if you are in her situation, what would you do?
Or, have you put someone into that situation without knowing it?
We are all so busy with our life and the majority of us wants things done NOW, NOW and NOW.......
It may be the time to:
- start planning, get things done earlier and leave some buffer time
- plan with others' schedule, availability and commitment in mind.
- stop feeling guilty for saying No, worrying that you will offend your colleagues/friends.
- to let others know your reason of saying No
If you are in Amy's situation and have brought up the problem but yet nothing works out, it is not your problem anymore.
You might be twisting and turnig in bed feeling sorry for yourself, but the person who causes it doesn't even care.
It is simply not worth it.
She works 4 days a week. Sometimes, she could be contacted on her day off, which is all good. However, she finds it really frustrating at times when she was told her assistance Might Be needed for a couple of hours by logging on remotely to her office, without telling her the estimated schedule, not even morning or afternoon.
Firstly, it is her day off.
Secondly, she believes that to be a supportive team member, she should help. However, it is really hard to plan her day, when she does not know whether her help will Really be required. If so, when.
Well, if she is going to stays at home waiting, might as well not having the day off. It is bearable for such situation once or twice but definitely not constantly.
So, if you are in her situation, what would you do?
Or, have you put someone into that situation without knowing it?
We are all so busy with our life and the majority of us wants things done NOW, NOW and NOW.......
It may be the time to:
- start planning, get things done earlier and leave some buffer time
- plan with others' schedule, availability and commitment in mind.
- stop feeling guilty for saying No, worrying that you will offend your colleagues/friends.
- to let others know your reason of saying No
If you are in Amy's situation and have brought up the problem but yet nothing works out, it is not your problem anymore.
You might be twisting and turnig in bed feeling sorry for yourself, but the person who causes it doesn't even care.
It is simply not worth it.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Are you struggling with Money? You are not alone.
Money, Money, Money..............
Money does not always solve the problem, but without it, we will all be struggling.
(a) Lodging
Just imagine walking on the street with thin cotton summer clothes, surrounded by strong wind, and have no idea where to spend the night.
That is real life for some low income earners or the unemployed. With long waiting list of public housing and booming house price, some ends up sleeping in cars.
(b) Clothing
How about walking on the street, pass by a shop with clothes that you love? You will probably be in a dilemma whether to settle the credit card bills or pay of the clothes.
(c) Food
How about following all the tips you gather from websites, tv shows to shop with a list, at a best discount time, but yet, don't seem to save enough for a holiday?
Well........ you are not alone and hope you find the following website helps.
101 Ways to Make Money : http://www.101waystomakemoney.com/page/1/
It talks about ways to make money with ClickBank, become virtual assistant, with Youtube, writing poetry. The list goes on and on.
Have a look at it and you might find something interesting that you are not currently aware of.
Remember that there is no free lunch in this world. If you need to make money successfully, you need to process the information you read and use it to work for you.
Example: Never throw a big junk of your savings into stock market blindly. Simon says.............. BAD BAD BAD idea............
Money does not always solve the problem, but without it, we will all be struggling.
(a) Lodging
Just imagine walking on the street with thin cotton summer clothes, surrounded by strong wind, and have no idea where to spend the night.
That is real life for some low income earners or the unemployed. With long waiting list of public housing and booming house price, some ends up sleeping in cars.
(b) Clothing
How about walking on the street, pass by a shop with clothes that you love? You will probably be in a dilemma whether to settle the credit card bills or pay of the clothes.
(c) Food
How about following all the tips you gather from websites, tv shows to shop with a list, at a best discount time, but yet, don't seem to save enough for a holiday?
Well........ you are not alone and hope you find the following website helps.
101 Ways to Make Money : http://www.101waystomakemoney.com/page/1/
It talks about ways to make money with ClickBank, become virtual assistant, with Youtube, writing poetry. The list goes on and on.
Have a look at it and you might find something interesting that you are not currently aware of.
Remember that there is no free lunch in this world. If you need to make money successfully, you need to process the information you read and use it to work for you.
Example: Never throw a big junk of your savings into stock market blindly. Simon says.............. BAD BAD BAD idea............
Sunday, April 25, 2010
It does not have to be logical
(A) Moth
One groomy friday, as usual, I went back to office for our weekly meeting. In our meeting room, there were more than 10 moths flying in the room. Some colleagues were really hesistate to go into the room. I found it really funny seeing some of their reactions when they got scared by the moth that just stop by the side of the table.
When I shared with my housemate my funny story, she said: "If you are scared of something, the size does not matter. Eg:, It does not mean you will not be scared of little tiger just because it is little."
You Cannot Explain Fear Logically.
(B) Complement
In a gathering, a Mummy in her forties was chatting with her Son (age 15) as usual. A nice complement came for the mum: "You look very young and you both look like sister and brother. You look as if you are aged 30."
Like every women who receives the complement, Mummy was very happy.
If you think of it logically, if Mummy looks like 30, the Son must look slightly mature than his age. After all, he is only 15. So, while Mummy enjoys the complement, don't forget what it reflects on the Son.
It is just a complement, it is not supposed to be explained logically. I think the whole complement fails when a specific age was referred.
Anyway, I was laughing my head off while teasing the Mummy that when she enjoys her nice complement, don't forget that may not be a complement for the Son.
You Cannot Explain Complement Logically.
One groomy friday, as usual, I went back to office for our weekly meeting. In our meeting room, there were more than 10 moths flying in the room. Some colleagues were really hesistate to go into the room. I found it really funny seeing some of their reactions when they got scared by the moth that just stop by the side of the table.
When I shared with my housemate my funny story, she said: "If you are scared of something, the size does not matter. Eg:, It does not mean you will not be scared of little tiger just because it is little."
You Cannot Explain Fear Logically.
(B) Complement
In a gathering, a Mummy in her forties was chatting with her Son (age 15) as usual. A nice complement came for the mum: "You look very young and you both look like sister and brother. You look as if you are aged 30."
Like every women who receives the complement, Mummy was very happy.
If you think of it logically, if Mummy looks like 30, the Son must look slightly mature than his age. After all, he is only 15. So, while Mummy enjoys the complement, don't forget what it reflects on the Son.
It is just a complement, it is not supposed to be explained logically. I think the whole complement fails when a specific age was referred.
Anyway, I was laughing my head off while teasing the Mummy that when she enjoys her nice complement, don't forget that may not be a complement for the Son.
You Cannot Explain Complement Logically.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Right decisions
We make decisions every day. How do you know whether you are making the right decision?
It is right when it works. After all, a bad decisions is always better than no decisions.
(a) What to study for a degree.
When I finished high school, I wasn't sure what to study for a degree. I only knew I like mathematics and psychology. My aim was to get a degree as soon as possible and get a job.
Unfortunately, psychology wasn't popular back in my country 15 years ago. I didn't think I like to be a mathematicians. So, I chose accounting. That's right, the boring accounting.
My reasoning is, knowing accounting can set a strong foundation if I ever choose to be in business, be manager , sales, etc etc.
I worked in auditing and accounting, and now I implement accounting systems. I knew I made the right decision as I applied the knowledge I learnt to my work successfully.
When I don't know what to choose, I use the elimination method, just like doing multiple choice.
When I don't know what is best, I make a decision that will give me the best return.
(b) Manage or be managed
I used to work in a big accounting team with a multinational company with staffs reporting to me. It was a good pay job but extremely long hours. While I enjoyed leading and working in a team, I hate dealing with politics among managers.
Anyway, one day, I decided to change my career path to IT and chose to work in a smaller company.
In big company, there is very clear definition of reponsibilities for each role.
In a smaller company, you will need to be more flexible. Unavoidably, I am asked to work on things which is beyond my technical knowledge. Sometimes it is ok, sometimes I hate it.
The change has brought me:
Good thing:
- a good leader, who I consistently enjoy learning technical stuffs from him;
- less politics and my leader will have to handle it and I just need to focus on my work
Bad things:
- someone else is making decisions for me and I have less say in it.
- less negotiation power to employer as a manager can possibly ask for higher pay
- I am working in a project with a project manager who has very different ways of thinkings from me. I am at a dilemma to make specific request to my boss for not involve in projects managed by him/her. At one hand, I know I should behave and handle it professionally. On the other hand, my frustration is building up. Instead of repeating the cycle of frustration every time we are in the same project, why not just be upfront and get the hit?
There is no right or wrong decision here. It is just a matter of what carry more weights.
It is right when it works. After all, a bad decisions is always better than no decisions.
(a) What to study for a degree.
When I finished high school, I wasn't sure what to study for a degree. I only knew I like mathematics and psychology. My aim was to get a degree as soon as possible and get a job.
Unfortunately, psychology wasn't popular back in my country 15 years ago. I didn't think I like to be a mathematicians. So, I chose accounting. That's right, the boring accounting.
My reasoning is, knowing accounting can set a strong foundation if I ever choose to be in business, be manager , sales, etc etc.
I worked in auditing and accounting, and now I implement accounting systems. I knew I made the right decision as I applied the knowledge I learnt to my work successfully.
When I don't know what to choose, I use the elimination method, just like doing multiple choice.
When I don't know what is best, I make a decision that will give me the best return.
(b) Manage or be managed
I used to work in a big accounting team with a multinational company with staffs reporting to me. It was a good pay job but extremely long hours. While I enjoyed leading and working in a team, I hate dealing with politics among managers.
Anyway, one day, I decided to change my career path to IT and chose to work in a smaller company.
In big company, there is very clear definition of reponsibilities for each role.
In a smaller company, you will need to be more flexible. Unavoidably, I am asked to work on things which is beyond my technical knowledge. Sometimes it is ok, sometimes I hate it.
The change has brought me:
Good thing:
- a good leader, who I consistently enjoy learning technical stuffs from him;
- less politics and my leader will have to handle it and I just need to focus on my work
Bad things:
- someone else is making decisions for me and I have less say in it.
- less negotiation power to employer as a manager can possibly ask for higher pay
- I am working in a project with a project manager who has very different ways of thinkings from me. I am at a dilemma to make specific request to my boss for not involve in projects managed by him/her. At one hand, I know I should behave and handle it professionally. On the other hand, my frustration is building up. Instead of repeating the cycle of frustration every time we are in the same project, why not just be upfront and get the hit?
There is no right or wrong decision here. It is just a matter of what carry more weights.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
How have you been
I have to admit I am not good in keeping contact with friends. Sometimes, my friend never hear from me for a couple of months and then I resurface.
Having said that, I was reading an email from a friend that read:
"I am sending you an email just to check you are still alive, although it is very normal that you disappear a few months."
I do wonder:
1. If I am no longer alive, how will the email tell?
2. Isn't it better to pick up the phone and ask "hi, how have you been? I have not heard from you for a long time and I want to make sure you are fine."
I wonder how the world has changed the way we communicate.
Instead of meeting up and express ourselves directly, we write.
Instead of showing our care in a direct and loving manner, we use negative words in our communication.
Then.......... we all complain "YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND, YOU DON'T CARE"
Having said that, I was reading an email from a friend that read:
"I am sending you an email just to check you are still alive, although it is very normal that you disappear a few months."
I do wonder:
1. If I am no longer alive, how will the email tell?
2. Isn't it better to pick up the phone and ask "hi, how have you been? I have not heard from you for a long time and I want to make sure you are fine."
I wonder how the world has changed the way we communicate.
Instead of meeting up and express ourselves directly, we write.
Instead of showing our care in a direct and loving manner, we use negative words in our communication.
Then.......... we all complain "YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND, YOU DON'T CARE"
Greeting
I grow up being taught that when we see someone, we say:
"How are you?"
"Good morning", "Good Afternoon", "Good Evening"
"Long time no see, how have you been?"
Nice greeting with real care to people around us.
However, the world has changed, I find :
1. Greeting with no feelings
Mr A goes to office, see his collegue, saying "Good morning" with his heads down, no smile, nothing.
What a mechanic greeting. What is the point when you greet someone with no feelings?
2. Greeting with expecation
John goes to office, see Mr A, says "Good morning". Mr A continues working with his head down with no response.
John says: "Aren't you are going to say Good morning?" Fine, I will ignore you next time.
We should greet because we care and we wish someone has a good day, not expecting any return. What is the point of greeting when it becomes a standard procedure?
I heard a story before, I can't really remember the source.
Lisa has a flower shop. Every morning, Mr Brumpy passes by her shop. She always greet him, "Good morning, Mr Brumpy, have a nice day". Unfortunately, Mr Brumpy never response. However, Lisa keeps doing it.
One day, Lisa's brother asks: "Why do you keep greeting him when he doesn't bother to response? That is very rude of him."
Lisa replies, I greet because I would like to wish Mr Brumpy a good day. It does not matter whether he responses.
That's right. We greet because we want to. If we always do things with expectation of return, it probably means we all are so busy with our life, we learn to be so self-focus and we forget the greatness of sharing, giving and loving.
"How are you?"
"Good morning", "Good Afternoon", "Good Evening"
"Long time no see, how have you been?"
Nice greeting with real care to people around us.
However, the world has changed, I find :
1. Greeting with no feelings
Mr A goes to office, see his collegue, saying "Good morning" with his heads down, no smile, nothing.
What a mechanic greeting. What is the point when you greet someone with no feelings?
2. Greeting with expecation
John goes to office, see Mr A, says "Good morning". Mr A continues working with his head down with no response.
John says: "Aren't you are going to say Good morning?" Fine, I will ignore you next time.
We should greet because we care and we wish someone has a good day, not expecting any return. What is the point of greeting when it becomes a standard procedure?
I heard a story before, I can't really remember the source.
Lisa has a flower shop. Every morning, Mr Brumpy passes by her shop. She always greet him, "Good morning, Mr Brumpy, have a nice day". Unfortunately, Mr Brumpy never response. However, Lisa keeps doing it.
One day, Lisa's brother asks: "Why do you keep greeting him when he doesn't bother to response? That is very rude of him."
Lisa replies, I greet because I would like to wish Mr Brumpy a good day. It does not matter whether he responses.
That's right. We greet because we want to. If we always do things with expectation of return, it probably means we all are so busy with our life, we learn to be so self-focus and we forget the greatness of sharing, giving and loving.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Simply Saving
Sigh............. for those who know me, you might be aware I have been home hunting for a long long long ........ time. I can't do much when the housing price in Australia has gone crazy. Some says it will fall, some says it will rise even further due to high demand low supply.
Do I continue, yes. However, I decide to do other things as well.
1. Compound interest - saving account
Look around for savings accounts that offer compound interest daily, ie, the interest is calculated based on the principal and accumulated interest.
Imagine you invest $10000 at 10 percent for 5 years, it will be $10000 * 1.1 * 1.1 * 1.1 *1.1* 1.1 = $16,105
2. Investment - shares
Earn from capital growth and dividends. Of course, only if you get the right shares.
3. Survey
This is pretty slow process, but better than none.
Hooh........ Hopefully I don't have to take up another job.
Do I continue, yes. However, I decide to do other things as well.
1. Compound interest - saving account
Look around for savings accounts that offer compound interest daily, ie, the interest is calculated based on the principal and accumulated interest.
Imagine you invest $10000 at 10 percent for 5 years, it will be $10000 * 1.1 * 1.1 * 1.1 *1.1* 1.1 = $16,105
2. Investment - shares
Earn from capital growth and dividends. Of course, only if you get the right shares.
3. Survey
This is pretty slow process, but better than none.
Hooh........ Hopefully I don't have to take up another job.
Vitamin in Heart
I am currently reading a book "Vitamin in Heart" by 何南辉. It shares the life phylosophy with short stories. It is really interesting, precise and easy to follow, and telling us what we may/may not already know.
The following is a story that I really like. The original is in Chinese, so, I have tried my best to translate it into English. It is a summarised version thou.
1. A bird that speak seven languages
A husband went overseas for a business trip. One day, he passed by a pet shop and saw a bird that speak seven languages. He found it amazing and decided to pay a good price for it.
As he was still on the business trip, he requested the pet shop owner to deliver the bird to his wife as a surprise birthday present.
A few days later, when he arrived home,
Husband: "did anyone deliver a bird".
Wife: "Yes"
Husbad: "Where is it?"
Wife: "In the oven."
Husband:"What??? It is a precious bird that speak 7 languages? Why would you eat it?"
Wife: "It did not say anything, how would I know?"
Conclusion:
Have you ever felt you are good or even the best, but no one appreciate or understand you? That is because you never say it.
My thought:
It does not mean you go around and blow your own trumpet.
If you are good, continue with the good work, make sure it is flawless. When there is a discussion on topic you are good at, speak up and share your thoughts. Don't voice your opinion over the others. Just listen and answer.
If you are good at what you are doing, make it better and be the best. Expand the knowledge on what you already know.
I have a friend who graduates in MIS. He works in an IT company. His strength is in database modelling. Base on that, he has master reporting wrting skills in Crystal Reports and all his collegues is aware of his skills. He enjoys learning new skills. Now he is learning Reporting Services in his own time, which is another popular report writing tools.
He hates it when he is asked to do things that he is not familiar at work, however, he realises $$$ to the boss is what it comes down to. He needs to have the skills that the employer is willing to pay. To continue with what he is good at, he invests his time to keep up-to-date with what he knows. In the mean time, broaden his knowledge in his area of expertise.
You can keep feeling demotivated or find a solution for yourself. Afterall, if you don't help yourself, no one can.
The following is a story that I really like. The original is in Chinese, so, I have tried my best to translate it into English. It is a summarised version thou.
1. A bird that speak seven languages
A husband went overseas for a business trip. One day, he passed by a pet shop and saw a bird that speak seven languages. He found it amazing and decided to pay a good price for it.
As he was still on the business trip, he requested the pet shop owner to deliver the bird to his wife as a surprise birthday present.
A few days later, when he arrived home,
Husband: "did anyone deliver a bird".
Wife: "Yes"
Husbad: "Where is it?"
Wife: "In the oven."
Husband:"What??? It is a precious bird that speak 7 languages? Why would you eat it?"
Wife: "It did not say anything, how would I know?"
Conclusion:
Have you ever felt you are good or even the best, but no one appreciate or understand you? That is because you never say it.
My thought:
It does not mean you go around and blow your own trumpet.
If you are good, continue with the good work, make sure it is flawless. When there is a discussion on topic you are good at, speak up and share your thoughts. Don't voice your opinion over the others. Just listen and answer.
If you are good at what you are doing, make it better and be the best. Expand the knowledge on what you already know.
I have a friend who graduates in MIS. He works in an IT company. His strength is in database modelling. Base on that, he has master reporting wrting skills in Crystal Reports and all his collegues is aware of his skills. He enjoys learning new skills. Now he is learning Reporting Services in his own time, which is another popular report writing tools.
He hates it when he is asked to do things that he is not familiar at work, however, he realises $$$ to the boss is what it comes down to. He needs to have the skills that the employer is willing to pay. To continue with what he is good at, he invests his time to keep up-to-date with what he knows. In the mean time, broaden his knowledge in his area of expertise.
You can keep feeling demotivated or find a solution for yourself. Afterall, if you don't help yourself, no one can.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
More Recipes sites
I have recently visited some recipes websites.
(a) Curry Focus - http://www.curryfocus.com/recipes.php
There are tonnes of curry recipes in this websit, including Dal Recipes, Lamp, Beef, Baldi, Massaman, etc etc etc. It is interesting to find so many Curry Recipes I never heard of.
Good:
- There are a "Recipe review" section, where you can see users' rating and the heat rating.
- They are pretty easy to follow.
- Best of all, you can also share your own recipes on this website and get feedback from others who love curry.
Bad:
- There are no photos attached so you can't really see how it looks like.
(b) Taste - http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/collections
You will receive a lot of information by browing through this website.
My favourite are the "Recipes", "News and Features" and "How To".
- In the "Recipes" session, you can get suggesions for different occasions and simple thing for lunch box. It is filled with photos and therefore, easy to pick a recipes that might interest you.
- The "New and Features" session is full of information such as "Top 50 recipes for 2009", cook books reviews and fantastic food locations around the globe.
- In the 'How to" sessions, I like the "Ingredients" session, where, it shares the ways of preparing them (eg: blood orange, cucmeber), photos of how they look like, what is in the season etc etc.
It does not stop there. There are video series, which you can click on.
Fantastic and very informative website. Hope you like it.
(a) Curry Focus - http://www.curryfocus.com/recipes.php
There are tonnes of curry recipes in this websit, including Dal Recipes, Lamp, Beef, Baldi, Massaman, etc etc etc. It is interesting to find so many Curry Recipes I never heard of.
Good:
- There are a "Recipe review" section, where you can see users' rating and the heat rating.
- They are pretty easy to follow.
- Best of all, you can also share your own recipes on this website and get feedback from others who love curry.
Bad:
- There are no photos attached so you can't really see how it looks like.
(b) Taste - http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/collections
You will receive a lot of information by browing through this website.
My favourite are the "Recipes", "News and Features" and "How To".
- In the "Recipes" session, you can get suggesions for different occasions and simple thing for lunch box. It is filled with photos and therefore, easy to pick a recipes that might interest you.
- The "New and Features" session is full of information such as "Top 50 recipes for 2009", cook books reviews and fantastic food locations around the globe.
- In the 'How to" sessions, I like the "Ingredients" session, where, it shares the ways of preparing them (eg: blood orange, cucmeber), photos of how they look like, what is in the season etc etc.
It does not stop there. There are video series, which you can click on.
Fantastic and very informative website. Hope you like it.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Happy 2010 - Plan for the better
Happy New Year to all my friends and relatives. May your wishes come true in the new year.
As you look back the previous year, have you been stressing about life, work, marriage, relationships etc etc etc and the list seems to go on forever?
Well, me too.
As I went through my email today, I see an email from Kristine Carlson. She is the wife of international phenomenon Dr. Richard Carlson (author of the “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff…and it’s all Small Stuff” series), and author of National Bestsellers, “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff in Love” and “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff for Women”.
Visiting the website http://www.dontsweat.com/kristine.html, remind me the importance of living in the moment and enjoy the present.
Have a look at the above website, click on "Features Excerpts" on the left menu bar, there are some interesting pieces as follows:
"Avoid the "I've Had A Really Hard Day" Habit - from Don't Sweat the Small Stuff in Love"
"Don't Fight Over Stupid Things - from Dont' Sweat the Small Stuff in Love'
"Remember That Your Partner Can't Read Your Mind - from Don't Sweat the Small Stuff in Love"
"Know Your Own Value - from Don't Sweat the Small Stuff in Love"
Hope you enjoy it.
As you look back the previous year, have you been stressing about life, work, marriage, relationships etc etc etc and the list seems to go on forever?
Well, me too.
As I went through my email today, I see an email from Kristine Carlson. She is the wife of international phenomenon Dr. Richard Carlson (author of the “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff…and it’s all Small Stuff” series), and author of National Bestsellers, “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff in Love” and “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff for Women”.
Visiting the website http://www.dontsweat.com/kristine.html, remind me the importance of living in the moment and enjoy the present.
Have a look at the above website, click on "Features Excerpts" on the left menu bar, there are some interesting pieces as follows:
"Avoid the "I've Had A Really Hard Day" Habit - from Don't Sweat the Small Stuff in Love"
"Don't Fight Over Stupid Things - from Dont' Sweat the Small Stuff in Love'
"Remember That Your Partner Can't Read Your Mind - from Don't Sweat the Small Stuff in Love"
"Know Your Own Value - from Don't Sweat the Small Stuff in Love"
Hope you enjoy it.
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