Sunday, February 25, 2007
Happy Birthday. . .
Last year I had a lot of fun at wala wala.
This year we had a simple dinner.
It always the company if you ask me.
So as I get older, I don't need big bashes or parties.
I'll just spend time with the people who really cares and remembers.
They are the people I should spend my time and energy on.
Fun fact to share.
I kept getting surprised by the birthday cakes bought.
My family surprised me with one as I come out from the showers.
My gang surprised me as I slacked on Vicky's sofa.
Thanx to Kester for remembering my birthday.
And James for spending a nice day with me.
Julien's birthday wish.
Yingkai's phone call.
I'm a quarter century old.
And I've never been more me than ever.
:)
This year we had a simple dinner.
It always the company if you ask me.
So as I get older, I don't need big bashes or parties.
I'll just spend time with the people who really cares and remembers.
They are the people I should spend my time and energy on.
Fun fact to share.
I kept getting surprised by the birthday cakes bought.
My family surprised me with one as I come out from the showers.
My gang surprised me as I slacked on Vicky's sofa.
Thanx to Kester for remembering my birthday.
And James for spending a nice day with me.
Julien's birthday wish.
Yingkai's phone call.
I'm a quarter century old.
And I've never been more me than ever.
:)
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Chinese New Year's Eve
Today was the busiest day I have experienced since working with La Mer.
My senior and I were expecting to have an easy time.
But we served over 50 customers in a sheer 6.5 hours.
Why?
La Mer is having a sampling excercise.
So people are rushing in to collect their free samples.
I do find myself loving this job more and more.
Yes I get to see all sorts of people.
And they can be upsetting at times.
But getting to meet a new species of human being is always quite fun to me.
Happy Lunar New Year :)
My senior and I were expecting to have an easy time.
But we served over 50 customers in a sheer 6.5 hours.
Why?
La Mer is having a sampling excercise.
So people are rushing in to collect their free samples.
I do find myself loving this job more and more.
Yes I get to see all sorts of people.
And they can be upsetting at times.
But getting to meet a new species of human being is always quite fun to me.
Happy Lunar New Year :)
Labels: Life
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
What Donut Are You?
| You Are a Powdered Devil's Food Donut |
 A total sweetheart on the outside, you love to fool people with your innocent image. On the inside you're a little darker, richer, and more complex. You're a hedonist who demands more than one pleasure at a time. Decadent and daring, you test the limits of human indulgence. |
Labels: Tests
Monday, February 12, 2007
The End of the Beginning of the End of the Beginning..
"Is it the end of the story? Or is it the beginning of a new story? Or maybe it is just merely a hit on the pause button."
My story to share with a dear friend.
I hope you are reading this.
And that this makes sense.
I had a love story end against my will.
I wanted it to be a pause.
But it was the end.
Then I thought it could be the beginning of a new story.
But it was not.
Now that I think back, I'm glad to have it ended.
And I do think that I am very lucky.
I am lucky that someone had cared enough to hurt me so bad.
Because putting a pause would have hurt me more.
It was painful to reach the end of the road especially with someone you so selfishly want.
But do trust me that it is not always a bad thing.
I had a love story end against my will.
To be truthful, it was a pause for our relationship.
We did sit opposite each other last Christmas, looking at each other smiling (like we did many years ago).
And it was the beginning of something.
I can now be a big boy around Hiro.
But it was the end.
The end of a love story.
My dear friend, I know it's very hard.
Despite you saying otherwise.
And I cannot tell you what to do or decide.
But this may be the few times when the heart cannot tell you what is best for you.
东弯土星
陈洁仪
唱完这首歌真的就不想再唱了
甚至麦克风感觉到我已很伤神
每一次唱着所谓意境美的情歌
受够了
(唉) 时代已变了唱歌还要讨好别人
如今我懂得大声唱我喜欢的歌
不想等了又等心忽然掉进黄河
该退了
不用为我心痛什么
留恋过去又能怎么
放下旧情人的我又活了
这就叫舍得
不用为我担心什么
从不觉得我像被放逐的灵魂
唱歌还能胜任
我会唱的
My story to share with a dear friend.
I hope you are reading this.
And that this makes sense.
I had a love story end against my will.
I wanted it to be a pause.
But it was the end.
Then I thought it could be the beginning of a new story.
But it was not.
Now that I think back, I'm glad to have it ended.
And I do think that I am very lucky.
I am lucky that someone had cared enough to hurt me so bad.
Because putting a pause would have hurt me more.
It was painful to reach the end of the road especially with someone you so selfishly want.
But do trust me that it is not always a bad thing.
I had a love story end against my will.
To be truthful, it was a pause for our relationship.
We did sit opposite each other last Christmas, looking at each other smiling (like we did many years ago).
And it was the beginning of something.
I can now be a big boy around Hiro.
But it was the end.
The end of a love story.
My dear friend, I know it's very hard.
Despite you saying otherwise.
And I cannot tell you what to do or decide.
But this may be the few times when the heart cannot tell you what is best for you.
东弯土星
陈洁仪
唱完这首歌真的就不想再唱了
甚至麦克风感觉到我已很伤神
每一次唱着所谓意境美的情歌
受够了
(唉) 时代已变了唱歌还要讨好别人
如今我懂得大声唱我喜欢的歌
不想等了又等心忽然掉进黄河
该退了
不用为我心痛什么
留恋过去又能怎么
放下旧情人的我又活了
这就叫舍得
不用为我担心什么
从不觉得我像被放逐的灵魂
唱歌还能胜任
我会唱的
Labels: Gage'sWritings, Thoughts
Come Grow With Me: 7 Pains You Shouldn't Ignore
Experts describe the types of pain that require prompt medical attention.
By Leanna Skarnulis
WebMD Feature
Whoever coined the term "necessary evil" might have been thinking of pain. No one wants it, yet it's the body's way of getting your attention when something is wrong. You're probably sufficiently in tune with your body to know when the pain is just a bother, perhaps the result of moving furniture a day or two before or eating that third enchilada. It's when pain might signal something more serious that the internal dialogue begins:
"OK, this isn't something to fool around with."
"But I can't miss my meeting."
"And how many meetings will you miss if you land in the hospital?"
"I'll give it one more day."
Etc.
You need a guide. WebMD consulted doctors in cardiology, internal medicine, geriatrics, and psychiatry so you'll understand which pains you must not ignore -- and why. And, of course, if in doubt, get medical attention.
No. 1: Worst Headache of Your Life
Get medical attention immediately. "If you have a cold, it could be a sinus headache," says Sandra Fryhofer, MD, MACP, spokeswoman for the American College of Physicians. "But you could have a brain hemorrhage or brain tumor. With any pain, unless you're sure of what caused it, get it checked out."
Sharon Brangman, MD, FACP, spokeswoman for the American Geriatrics Society, tells WebMD that when someone says they have the worst headache of their life, "what we learned in medical training was that was a classic sign of a brain aneurysm. Go immediately to the ER."
No. 2: Pain or Discomfort in the Chest, Throat, Jaw, Shoulder, Arm, or Abdomen
Chest pain could be pneumonia or a heart attack. But be aware that heart conditions typically appear as discomfort, not pain. "Don't wait for pain," says cardiologist Jerome Cohen, MD. "Heart patients talk about pressure. They'll clench their fist and put it over their chest or say it's like an elephant sitting on their chest."
The discomfort associated with heart disease could also be in the upper chest, throat, jaw, left shoulder or arm, or abdomen and might be accompanied by nausea. "I'm not too much worried about the 18-year-old, but if a person has unexplained, persistent discomfort and knows they're high risk, they shouldn't wait," says Cohen. "Too often people delay because they misinterpret it as [heartburn] or GI distress. Call 911 or get to an emergency room or physician's office. If it turns out to be something else, that's great."
He tells WebMD that intermittent discomfort should be taken seriously as well. "There might be a pattern, such as discomfort related to excitement, emotional upset, or exertion. For example, if you experience it when you're gardening, but it goes away when you sit down, that's angina. It's usually worse in cold or hot weather."
"A woman's discomfort signs can be more subtle," says Cohen, who is director of preventive cardiology at Saint Louis University School of Medicine. "Heart disease can masquerade as GI symptoms, such as bloating, GI distress, or discomfort in the abdomen. It's also associated with feeling tired. Risk for heart disease increases dramatically after menopause. It kills more women than men even though men are at higher risk at any age. Women and their physicians need to be on their toes."
No. 3: Pain in Lower Back or Between Shoulder Blades
"Most often it's arthritis," says Brangman, who is professor and chief of geriatrics at SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, N.Y. Other possibilities include a heart attack or abdominal problems. "One danger is aortic dissection, which can appear as either a nagging or sudden pain. People who are at risk have conditions that can change the integrity of the vessel wall. These would include high blood pressure, a history of circulation problems, smoking, and diabetes."
No. 4: Severe Abdominal Pain
Still have your appendix? Don't flirt with the possibility of a rupture. Gallbladder and pancreas problems, stomach ulcers, and intestinal blockages are some other possible causes of abdominal pain that need attention.
No 5: Calf Pain
One of the lesser known dangers is deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a blood clot that can occur in the leg's deep veins. It affects 2 million Americans a year, and it can be life-threatening. "The danger is that a piece of the clot could break loose and cause pulmonary embolism [a clot in the lungs], which could be fatal," says Fryhofer. Cancer, obesity, immobility due to prolonged bed rest or long-distance travel, pregnancy, and advanced age are among the risk factors.
"Sometimes there's just swelling without pain," says Brangman. "If you have swelling and pain in your calf muscles, see a doctor immediately."
No. 6: Burning Feet or Legs
Nearly one-third of the 20 million Americans who have diabetes are undiagnosed, according to the American Diabetes Association. "In some people who don't know they have diabetes, peripheral neuropathy could be one of the first signs," says Brangman. "It's a burning or pins-and-needles sensation in the feet or legs that can indicate nerve damage."
No 7: Vague, Combined, or Medically Unexplained Pains
"Various painful, physical symptoms are common in depression," says psychiatrist Thomas Wise, MD. "Patients will have vague complaints of headaches, abdominal pain, or limb pain, sometimes in combination."
Because the pain might be chronic and not terribly debilitating, depressed people, their families, and health care professionals might dismiss the symptoms. "Furthermore, the more depressed you are, the more difficulty you have describing your feelings," says Wise, who is the psychiatry department chairman at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Fairfax, Va. "All of this can lead the clinician astray."
Other symptoms must be present before a diagnosis of depression can be made. "Get help when you've lost interest in activities, you're unable to work or think effectively, and you can't get along with people," he says. "And don't suffer silently when you're hurting."
He adds there's more to depression than deterioration of the quality of life. "It has to be treated aggressively before it causes structural changes in the brain."
By Leanna Skarnulis
WebMD Feature
Whoever coined the term "necessary evil" might have been thinking of pain. No one wants it, yet it's the body's way of getting your attention when something is wrong. You're probably sufficiently in tune with your body to know when the pain is just a bother, perhaps the result of moving furniture a day or two before or eating that third enchilada. It's when pain might signal something more serious that the internal dialogue begins:
"OK, this isn't something to fool around with."
"But I can't miss my meeting."
"And how many meetings will you miss if you land in the hospital?"
"I'll give it one more day."
Etc.
You need a guide. WebMD consulted doctors in cardiology, internal medicine, geriatrics, and psychiatry so you'll understand which pains you must not ignore -- and why. And, of course, if in doubt, get medical attention.
No. 1: Worst Headache of Your Life
Get medical attention immediately. "If you have a cold, it could be a sinus headache," says Sandra Fryhofer, MD, MACP, spokeswoman for the American College of Physicians. "But you could have a brain hemorrhage or brain tumor. With any pain, unless you're sure of what caused it, get it checked out."
Sharon Brangman, MD, FACP, spokeswoman for the American Geriatrics Society, tells WebMD that when someone says they have the worst headache of their life, "what we learned in medical training was that was a classic sign of a brain aneurysm. Go immediately to the ER."
No. 2: Pain or Discomfort in the Chest, Throat, Jaw, Shoulder, Arm, or Abdomen
Chest pain could be pneumonia or a heart attack. But be aware that heart conditions typically appear as discomfort, not pain. "Don't wait for pain," says cardiologist Jerome Cohen, MD. "Heart patients talk about pressure. They'll clench their fist and put it over their chest or say it's like an elephant sitting on their chest."
The discomfort associated with heart disease could also be in the upper chest, throat, jaw, left shoulder or arm, or abdomen and might be accompanied by nausea. "I'm not too much worried about the 18-year-old, but if a person has unexplained, persistent discomfort and knows they're high risk, they shouldn't wait," says Cohen. "Too often people delay because they misinterpret it as [heartburn] or GI distress. Call 911 or get to an emergency room or physician's office. If it turns out to be something else, that's great."
He tells WebMD that intermittent discomfort should be taken seriously as well. "There might be a pattern, such as discomfort related to excitement, emotional upset, or exertion. For example, if you experience it when you're gardening, but it goes away when you sit down, that's angina. It's usually worse in cold or hot weather."
"A woman's discomfort signs can be more subtle," says Cohen, who is director of preventive cardiology at Saint Louis University School of Medicine. "Heart disease can masquerade as GI symptoms, such as bloating, GI distress, or discomfort in the abdomen. It's also associated with feeling tired. Risk for heart disease increases dramatically after menopause. It kills more women than men even though men are at higher risk at any age. Women and their physicians need to be on their toes."
No. 3: Pain in Lower Back or Between Shoulder Blades
"Most often it's arthritis," says Brangman, who is professor and chief of geriatrics at SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, N.Y. Other possibilities include a heart attack or abdominal problems. "One danger is aortic dissection, which can appear as either a nagging or sudden pain. People who are at risk have conditions that can change the integrity of the vessel wall. These would include high blood pressure, a history of circulation problems, smoking, and diabetes."
No. 4: Severe Abdominal Pain
Still have your appendix? Don't flirt with the possibility of a rupture. Gallbladder and pancreas problems, stomach ulcers, and intestinal blockages are some other possible causes of abdominal pain that need attention.
No 5: Calf Pain
One of the lesser known dangers is deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a blood clot that can occur in the leg's deep veins. It affects 2 million Americans a year, and it can be life-threatening. "The danger is that a piece of the clot could break loose and cause pulmonary embolism [a clot in the lungs], which could be fatal," says Fryhofer. Cancer, obesity, immobility due to prolonged bed rest or long-distance travel, pregnancy, and advanced age are among the risk factors.
"Sometimes there's just swelling without pain," says Brangman. "If you have swelling and pain in your calf muscles, see a doctor immediately."
No. 6: Burning Feet or Legs
Nearly one-third of the 20 million Americans who have diabetes are undiagnosed, according to the American Diabetes Association. "In some people who don't know they have diabetes, peripheral neuropathy could be one of the first signs," says Brangman. "It's a burning or pins-and-needles sensation in the feet or legs that can indicate nerve damage."
No 7: Vague, Combined, or Medically Unexplained Pains
"Various painful, physical symptoms are common in depression," says psychiatrist Thomas Wise, MD. "Patients will have vague complaints of headaches, abdominal pain, or limb pain, sometimes in combination."
Because the pain might be chronic and not terribly debilitating, depressed people, their families, and health care professionals might dismiss the symptoms. "Furthermore, the more depressed you are, the more difficulty you have describing your feelings," says Wise, who is the psychiatry department chairman at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Fairfax, Va. "All of this can lead the clinician astray."
Other symptoms must be present before a diagnosis of depression can be made. "Get help when you've lost interest in activities, you're unable to work or think effectively, and you can't get along with people," he says. "And don't suffer silently when you're hurting."
He adds there's more to depression than deterioration of the quality of life. "It has to be treated aggressively before it causes structural changes in the brain."
Labels: Come Grow With Me
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Babel
Tower of Babel
According to the narrative in Genesis Chapter 11 of the Bible, the Tower of Babel was a tower built by a unite humanity to reach the heavens. God, observing the unity of humanity in the construction, resolves to destroy the tower and confuse the previously uniform language of humanity, thereby preventing any such future efforts.
The story is found in Genesis 11:1-9 as follows:
1 And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. 2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. 3 And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for mortar. 4 And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. 5 And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children builded. 6 And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. 7 Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. 8 So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. 9 Therefore is the name of it called Babel (confusion); because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.Babel (2006)
In the remote sands of the Moroccan desert, a rifle shot rings out--detonating a chain of events that will link an American tourist couple’s frantic struggle to survive, two Moroccan boys involved in an accidental crime, a nanny illegally crossing into Mexico with two American children and a Japanese teen rebel whose father is sought by the police in Tokyo. Separated by clashing cultures and sprawling distances, each of these four disparate groups of people are nevertheless hurtling towards a shared destiny of isolation and grief. In the course of just a few days, they will each face the dizzying sensation of becoming profoundly lost--lost in the desert, lost to the world, lost to themselves--as they are pushed to the farthest edges of confusion and fear as well as to the very depths of connection and love.
HG2GThe Babel fish is a fictional species of fish in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, that can instantly translate any language to any other language. It is described thus:
“ The Babel fish is small, yellow and leechlike, and probably the oddest thing in the Universe. It feeds on brainwave energy received not from its own carrier but from those around it. It absorbs all unconscious mental frequencies from this brainwave energy to nourish itself with. It then excretes into the mind of its carrier a telepathic matrix formed by combining the conscious thought frequencies with nerve signals picked up from the speech centres of the brain which has supplied them. The practical upshot of all this is that if you stick a Babel fish in your ear you can instantly understand anything said to you in any form of language. The speech patterns you actually hear decode the brainwave matrix which has been fed into your mind by your Babel fish. ”
We all try to communicate in our own ways.
And maybe my wanting to be a director has nothing to do with my interests.
It's just my desire to communicate my feelings.
So is the function of this blog.
I enjoyed the film a lot.
But since you can't understand what I feel, the next best alternative is to watch the film yourself.
Labels: Films
Saturday, February 03, 2007
Little Chaos
I think a lot.
About useless things sometimes.
Harmful even, as some thoughts make me angry or bitter or sad or depressed.
But I guess this is my way of learning.
I think about how I have come to be the person that I am now.
I think about how the many different people in my life have come to be the persons that they are.
My mother used to be very devoted buddhist.
She goes to the temple very often.
Somehow, she stopped.
And for many years, I wondered if it was because she realised that God wasn't there when she needed the most help.
I've always put friendship above many things.
Above my work.
Above my convenience.
Somehow, I stopped.
Because I realised that I am always after their work.
After their conveniences.
But life resumes.
And I know that my mummy is looked after by some kind of higher powers.
And I know that I am loved in their little ways.
About useless things sometimes.
Harmful even, as some thoughts make me angry or bitter or sad or depressed.
But I guess this is my way of learning.
I think about how I have come to be the person that I am now.
I think about how the many different people in my life have come to be the persons that they are.
My mother used to be very devoted buddhist.
She goes to the temple very often.
Somehow, she stopped.
And for many years, I wondered if it was because she realised that God wasn't there when she needed the most help.
I've always put friendship above many things.
Above my work.
Above my convenience.
Somehow, I stopped.
Because I realised that I am always after their work.
After their conveniences.
But life resumes.
And I know that my mummy is looked after by some kind of higher powers.
And I know that I am loved in their little ways.
Labels: Thoughts
