Pink Ginger's Sketch of Life 珂琳随笔

Happiest Nations In The World

2008-07-26T01:52:00.003+08:00

I've just read this on the BBC website.

The 20 happiest nations in the world are :

1 - Denmark
2 - Switzerland
3 - Austria
4 - Iceland
5 - The Bahamas
6 - Finland
7 - Sweden
8 - Bhutan
9 - Brunei
10 - Canada
11 - Ireland
12 - Luxembourg
13 - Costa Rica
14 - Malta
15 - The Netherlands
16 - Antigua and Barbuda
17 - Malaysia
18 - New Zealand
19 - Norway
20 - The Seychelles

Other notable results include:

23 - USA
35 - Germany
41 - UK
62 - France
82 - China
90 - Japan
125 - India
167 - Russia

The three least happy countries were:

176 - Democratic Republic of the Congo
177 - Zimbabwe
178 - Burundi

Chilled Soba

2008-04-21T00:21:00.004+08:00

The busy and hectic life style in this city gives us very little time to cook at home. We eat out most of the time, tired with those oily and unhealthy meals in the food courts.

Today, we decided to prepare a very simple lunch for the weekend - Chilled Soba with a 'sunny side up'. It's plain but it tasted so nice and we really enjoyed this simple lunch that we've prepared.

It was just wonderful having a 'luxury' to enjoy a simply home cooked meal at home on the weekend, especially with the love ones.

Roses - That's All She Wants.

2008-03-05T00:14:00.012+08:00

I read this interesting article from today's news. This article may let you realize how much woman likes flowers.
The Iranian wife must felt disappointed when her husband didn't buy her flowers on their wedding's day, just like a lady looking forward to receive flowers from their lover on Valentine's day but didn't get it, truly disappointed !
The ending of this article makes me smile... It might be ridiculous, but she deserved for it.
-----------------------------------

World News // Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Iranian Wife Comes Up Roses

TEHRAN — An Iranian court has ordered a man to buy his wife 124,000 roses after she filed a complaint against her "stingy" husband to claim her dowry, a press report said yesterday.

"After 10 years of marriage Hengameh had decided to claim her dowry of 124,000 red roses to punish her very stingy husband," the Etemad newspaper said.

"Shortly after marriage I realised that Shahin was very cheap. He even refused to pay for my coffee if we went to a cafe or restaurant," said the woman, identified only by her first name Hengameh.

But Shahin told the court he could only afford five roses a day and complained that it was "her billionaire friends who had put such ideas in her head".

The court has seized his apartment worth 600 million rials ($89,000) until he buys her the entire 124,000 roses. A long-stemmed red rose costs 20,000 rials ($3) in Tehran.

Under Iranian law, a woman can claim her dowry or mahr, which is a gift pledged by the man at the time of marriage, at any time during married life or when getting a divorce.

— AFP

Hand In Hand

2007-12-13T00:09:00.003+08:00

This is one of the best clip I've seen on YouTube.
I embraced the perfection on imperfection. It is not the technique that matters but it was the spirit and faith in both of them that shine through.
It's Amazingly beautiful and inspiring !!

Ballet - Hand In Hand
.

Sleep On A Problem

2007-11-04T00:16:00.000+08:00

"Never go to bed angry" is one of the classic rule for many people. We're trained to talk, talk it out when there's a tension in the air because we want a resolution.

Now I tend to look at things from a broader prespective, after reading this article - by Susan Piver.

Heat of the moment discussions can spiral out of control quickly. "When you force an issue, you blab without having thought out what you need to say, which increases the chance that you'll both blurt out things you'll regret later" says Piver. And that's doubly true if you're tired. Sleeping on it first allows you to sort out what points are truly important. It also lets you decompress so that you'll be calmer and more rational when you make your case.

Just say, "I'm irritated and need time away." It can be smart to acquiesce if he's asking for a recess, too. Instead of insisting that you hash it out at that moment, schedule a time to readdress the issue. Saying "Let's talk about this tomorrow after work" makes it clear that you intend to revisit the conversation... and that he's / she's not off the hook.

Most arguments lose their bite if you take some time out to think them through. says Piver. "The next day, you'll be able to talk about it without so much anger. And you fight, and move on without discussing it to death."

Matt Tagged Me

2007-10-25T19:28:00.000+08:00

I've been tagged by Matt recently. Here is the 8 things about me and my thoughts.

1. I'm always interested to learn / discover new things.

2. I wish to live in a country with the 4 seasons and to plant Tulips in my garden.

3. I love travelling, backpacking.

4. One of the most beautiful thing in the world to me is to see an old couple still holding hands.

5. I don't like to use the chopsticks.

6. I have a difficulty to handle most of the Gadgets and often under utilize the good functions.

7. I am a 'heart person'. My mind will listen when my heart speaks.

8. Violin is part of my life.

Now, I'm going to tag You :

Bob Gentile - Live, Love & Laugh
Peter - PHO
Jay - Cinical Bastard
TopCat - Open Window
Krystyna - Evolving your Spirit, Mind, Body
L.S.Alves - Stories From Brazil
Galen - Mr.Know It All
Mike's Homefront

My Little Pleasure

2007-10-03T01:16:00.001+08:00

I thought I'd share with you a few of my favorite things that bring me pleasure and you might find one or two new ideas that could bring you a little happiness, too.

Here are some of the things I do that bring pleasure to life:

* Prepare myself a candle light dinner.

* Lying on the couch in a quite evening and listen to ‘Canon in D’.

* Eat my favorite desserts without counting the calories, I will pay back the next day.

* Put a few drops of valerian essential oil on my pillow at bedtime.

* Playing my violin without looking at the pieces. No rules, no stress.

* Catch the first tee-off in time, enjoy the game, love the smell of the grasses early in the morning.

* Stay up late chatting with friends online on any topics.

* Give myself a manicure.

* Spend an afternoon at the book store and get lost in an interesting good book.

* Blogging.

These small acts of pleasure can easily fit into a busy day. The kind of things that add joy to your day or calm your mind when things get crazy... I think I'm OK sticking with my little pleasure.

Weekend Sandals

2007-09-05T22:28:00.000+08:00

Sometimes life has to be a bit sloppy, especially after five days of dressing up for the office. On weekends I just have to let my hair down. I have my eyes set on getting myself a pair of 'hi-tech' sandals to complement the rest of my sloppiness.

I cannot decide on these three pairs; they are all so so nice. And of course, I don't get paid enough to buy all three pairs!

Which pair do you think is the nicest?

Florida Sun Flower

Sydney Antique Cream

Tabora Rain Flowers

Cancer Cells In The Body

2007-08-20T22:46:00.000+08:00

1. Every person has cancer cells in the body. These cancer cells do not show up in the standard tests until they have multiplied to a few billion. When doctors tell cancer patients that there are no more cancer cells in their bodies after treatment, it just means the tests are unable to detect the cancer cells because they have not reached the detectable size.

2. Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a person's lifetime. When the person's immune system is strong the cancer cells will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumors.

3. When a person has cancer it indicates the person has multiple nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic, environmental, food and lifestyle factors.
To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing diet and including supplements will strengthen the immune system.

4. Chemotherapy involves poisoning the rapidly-growing cancer cells and also destroys rapidly-growing healthy cells in the bone marrow, gastro-intestinal tract etc, and can cause organ damage like liver, kidneys, heart, lungs etc.

5. Initial treatment with chemotherapy and radiation will often reduce tumor size. However prolonged use of chemotherapy and radiation do not result in more tumor destruction.
When the body has too much toxic burden from chemotherapy and radiation the immune system is either compromised or destroyed, hence the person can succumb to various kinds of infections and complications.

6. An effective way to battle cancer is to starve the cancer cells by not feeding it with the foods it needs to multiply.

CANCER CELLS FEED ON :

a) Sugar is a cancer-feeder. By cutting off sugar it cuts off one important food supply to the cancer cells. Sugar substitutes like NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, etc are made with Aspartame and it is harmful. A better natural substitute would be honey or molasses but only in very small amounts. Table salt has a chemical added to make it white in color. Better alternative is Bragg's amino or sea salt.

b) Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus. By cutting off milk and substituting with unsweetened Soya milk cancer cells are being starved.

c) Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based diet is acidic and it is best to eat fish, and a little chicken rather than beef or pork. Meat also contains livestock antibiotics, growth hormones and parasites, which are all harmful, especially to people with cancer.

Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of digestive enzymes. Undigested meat remaining in the intestines become putrefied and leads to more toxic build-up.
Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By refraining from or eating less meat it frees more enzymes to attack the protein walls of cancer cells and allows the body's killer cells to destroy the cancer cells.

d) A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole grains, seeds, nuts and a little fruits help put the body into an alkaline environment. About 20% can be from cooked food including beans.

Fresh vegetable juices provide live enzymes that are easily absorbed and reach down to cellular levels within 15 minutes to nourish and enhance growth of healthy cells. To obtain live enzymes for building healthy cells try and drink fresh vegetable juice (most vegetables including bean sprouts) and eat some raw vegetables 2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are destroyed at temperatures of 104 degrees F (40 degrees C).

e) Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, which have high caffeine. Green tea is a better alternative and has cancer-fighting properties.

Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor. Anger, un-forgiveness and bitterness put the body into a stressful and acidic environment. Learn to have a loving and forgiving spirit. Learn to relax and enjoy life.

Exercising daily and deep breathing help to get more oxygen down to the cellular level. Oxygen therapy is another means employed to destroy cancer cells.

First Starbucks Store

2007-08-08T01:42:00.000+08:00

The first Starbucks was opened in Seattle’s Pike Place Market in 1971. It’s one of those ‘must see’ while in Seattle.

Yeah, big deal ! The original Starbucks. A very crowded Starbucks with high tourist traffic, no seats, probably the only store that sells more merchandise than their famous coffee.

The original logo can still be seen on the Starbucks store in Seattle's Pike Place Market. Obviously, it is the main attraction of this store and everyone loves the bare chest mermaid.

p/s : There is a Piroshky Place right next door you should drop by while you're there, you can smell the cinnamon from down the street. Try the beef and mushroom piroshky, you will return for more. I did.

Pink Ginger

2007-07-06T22:44:00.000+08:00

Beautiful pattern isn't it??

Now, Pink Ginger has her own mathematical pattern (as above) and a beautiful midi composed music - called 'Pink Ginger'.

Received these precious gifts from Azel Mantessa - a talented designer & music composer who always let his creativity runs wild.
Visiting Azel's blog is a total refreshing surprise !!

Many thanks, Azel, for a great gifts. Your nice gesture makes me feel special.

+ + + + +

I will be leaving to Canada & USA for a conference and a short vacation. See you in August. I'll be back.

Hope you enjoy the music of Pink Ginger, by Azel.

The Leader

2007-06-13T00:01:00.000+08:00

I read the following by Mike White - PepsiCo International's Chairman and CEO. White shared what he considers the critical characteristics of good leaders.

I also see these as a valuable guideline for daily life. We’re the Leader in our own life.

1. All good leaders have perspective. They simplify problems, ask the right questions, and balance long and short-term interests. They listen more than they talk. Good leaders "need to be able to cut through the clutter and come up with a solution."

2. Successful leaders turn strategy into results. They face reality and adjust plans to achieve their goals. They motivate people and are decisive, adhering to the 70-30 rule : If you have 70% of the information it's time to make a decision because "if you hold out for the last 30% you're probably toast."

3. Great leaders have the courage to make changes, even when things are good.

4. Effective leaders are self aware and savvy. They know how to read people and they flex their style to achieve results.

5. True leaders have unshakeable integrity. They set the moral tone and ethical standard of an organization. They ask for help and seek the council of others.

6. Proven leaders know how to build strong teams. A leader's ability to recognize potential in others and foster it builds successful organization.

Sense of Security

2007-05-18T00:53:00.001+08:00

Sense of security is the comfort zone that keeps us safe and calm.

These are a few things that offer me a little sense of security - :)

* To have pillows on both side of me when I sleep, so I wouldn't fall off the bed.

* To travel with a person who can read map and drive. I can't read map and have no sense of direction, will feel safe and have peace of mind if someone is there to read map on my behalf.

* To bring a jacket with me when I watch a horror movie in the cinema. I use it to cover my face whenever a scary scene appears.

* To stand beside a man who is 5 feet 10" tall (178cm) with perfect BMI, as I can lean my head on his shoulder.

* To have my mobile phone fully charged and bring it with me wherever I go. Sense of security is lost when I leave home without a mobile phone.

Fun With Fireflies

2007-05-03T23:38:00.003+08:00

I think deep down I'm still a child at heart. I had an incredible amount of fun catching fireflies last weekend.

We brought an empty jar along the journey and I said : we must fill in the jar with fireflies (like the photo) and to release them in total darkness so that the fireflies will brighten up the skies like a fairytales.

Well, we only caught 6 fireflies at the end... obviously not enough to brighten up the skies, not even a small corner.
However, these 6 little angels had already brightened up our day and our hearts.

We finally released the fireflies in the garden with a smile.

Small pleasure can be an enormous gift of life.

Marketing Concept

2007-04-20T01:50:00.000+08:00

A Professor was explaining marketing concepts to his students :

1. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and say : "I am very rich. Marry me!"
- That's Direct Marketing.

2. You're at a party with a bunch of friends and see a gorgeous girl. One of your friends goes up to her and pointing at you says : "He's very rich. Marry him."
- That's Advertising.

3. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and get her telephone number. The next day, you call and say : "Hi, I'm very rich. Marry me."
- That's Telemarketing.

4. You're at a party and see gorgeous girl. You get up and straighten your tie, you walk up to her and pour her a drink, you open the door of the car for her, pick up her bag after she drops it, offer her a ride and then say : "By the way, I'm rich. Will you marry me?"
- That's Public Relations.

5. You're at a party and see gorgeous girl. She walks up to you and says : You are very rich! Can you marry me?"
- That's Brand Recognition.

6. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and say : "I am very rich. Marry me!" She gives you a nice hard slap on your face.
- That's Customer Feedback.

7. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and say : "I am very rich. Marry me!" And she introduces you to her husband.
- That's Demand and Supply Gap.

8. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and before you say anything, another person comes and tells her : "I'm rich. Will you marry me?" and she goes with him.
- That's competition eating into your Market share.

9. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and before you say : "I'm rich. Marry me!" your wife arrives.
- That's restriction for entering new markets.

10. You see two gorgeous girls at a party, obviously friends. You go up to one and say, "I'm rich. Marry me." She turns away and you approach her friend with the same proposal.
- That's Networking. ( by Hale Mckay )

A Lesson On Mindset.

2007-04-06T15:56:00.000+08:00

This game shows us a measurement of how rigid our mindset can be without us realizing it.
It took me 20 minutes and am still not able to figure out No.4. I almost faint when I checked the answer. :)
This was done in world record time of 7 second.
Please share with us what you've learned and your thoughts.

+ + + + + +

* The fig shows 4 squares - A, B, C & D.
* 1/4 of squares A, B & C is shaded.

1. Divide unshaded portion of 'A' into TWO equal & identical parts.

2. Divide unshaded portion of 'B' into THREE equal & identical parts.

3. Divide unshaded portion of 'C' into FOUR equal & identical parts.

4. Divide 'D' into SEVEN equal & identical parts.

Are you ready? click HERE for the answer.

Music, Lyrics & Hugh Grant

2007-03-26T00:46:00.000+08:00

Went to watch “music & lyrics” with a nice friend who don’t really like Hugh Grant. When I keep praising Hugh Grant before the show started, he gave me a so evil yet so funny look in his eyes. ^-^

Hugh Grant is not the best actor, not the most talented and handsome one, however, he has a charm and character that will caught my attention all the time. His dialogue in a movie will always be witty and intelligent. He fits perfectly in a romantic comedy with his style of humor. His wrinkles on his face is the sexiest and irresistible attraction.

Hugh Grant really surprised me with his rather amusing and a pretty good voice. He sings, he dances, he cracks me up both in his acting & singing in this movie. My favorite track is “Don’t Write Me Off”. It shows off his talent in singing and piano. Watch now : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dYc3PblZR8

‘Music & Lyrics’ is a feel good movie; it is an unusually witty and intelligent romantic comedy (because Rotten Tomatoes said so).

The catchy songs and a good story line makes us smile, we really enjoyed it.

I asked my friend again after the movie : “Do you like Hugh Grant slightly more now?” His answer was : “well.. I do like Hugh Grant, just not as crazy as you. I never say he is bad, he is a good actor though.”
hee..hee.. did I hear it wrongly? ;)

What a wonderful way to spend a weekend with a good movie, good music, good acting and most importantly, a great company.

Colors Don't Lie

2007-03-20T13:37:00.000+08:00

Colour psychology has time and again proved that colours don't just add a fun element to our lives, but also add new dimensions to it. While our body language can speak about our behavioural patterns, the colours we sport can definitely tell us a lot about our emotional life and how highly we rate as a romantic partner. - The Economic Times

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It's your turn to reveal you true color.

If I could only choose one color, it is PINK

www.colors don't lie

Being Courageous

2007-03-13T23:10:00.000+08:00

I would like to introduce you a friend - Zip. The gentleman I had lunch with, in my last post.
This post was written by Zip. I've invited him to reply to your comments. – pink ginger.

*************************

I wish to thank pink-ginger for sharing what she thought of that encounter. I must admit, I didn't really know how to respond to the blog after reading it. I allowed too many considerations stop me from saying thank you and acknowledging her for her kind words; considerations that I assure you are mostly imaginary.

Too often and too easily I allow considerations stop me from doing what will give me access to a more enriched life. Concerns about being rejected and therefore missing out opportunities to meet new people; concerns about sounding silly by asking an important question during lecture and therefore missing out on having an answer right then; concerns about my future and if I can support all my financial commitments if I just quit my current job and go free-lance – maybe I'll make tons of money as a free-lancer, who knows?!

But I suspect that is such how many of us go through life that – pre-wired to survive this world. Too many knocks and disappointments and we condition ourselves to survive and avoid them as much as we can.

So my sense of being courageous was renewed after reading pink-ginger's blog. She reminded me that being courageous is not necessarily about 'pump-up the adrenaline, pick-up the guts and charge forward and worry about consequences later'. But it's about not giving up acting; it's about being in action and not letting our considerations stop us. Pink-ginger, thanks for your contribution!

Little Things That Make Me Smile

2007-03-03T15:52:00.000+08:00

I was invited to lunch with a friend recently. It was our first lunch together. His office was just across the road directly opposite my office, about 80 meters away. He suggested a restaurant behind his office.

That was a very casual lunch with minimum arrangement. I prepared to cross the road to meet up with him at his office lobby, as I will be passing by his office to go to the restaurant.

I received his call when I was just stepping out of the office. He said he'd arrived, waiting for me at the lobby in my office building. Oh... didn't expect him to come over. I told him that I can actually meet him across the road.

"I am here to pick you." He answered with a smile, wasn't realised that I was flattered by his sweet surprise.

After lunch, again we passed by his office. I asked him to get back to work and I will go back to the office by myself but he suggested to walk me back. He accompanies me until I get into the lift.

Perhaps it's not a big deal for a man to do a simple thing like this, but usually people will not do it if the distance was just across the road. It takes an extra effort and a different mindset for one to do things that may be unnecessary or less significant in the eye of the public.

What really flatters a woman is that you think her worth flattering - a little surprise, concern & pampering means alot, these are priceless.
I was impressed by his gesture and kindness. His thoughtfulness makes me feel warm inside. This is a Big thing to me !

We had a good conversation together over simple lunch.

Even though I don't remember the date, the time, meals we ordered and the color of his shirt, but this sweet encounter will be in my memory for a long time.

Chinese New Year Superstitions

2007-02-26T23:20:00.000+08:00

I am back!! with a few extra pounds. ;) I went home to celebrate Chinese New Year with family and friends.
Thanks for your e-mail and words of concern while I was away. The friendship that we developed here were greater than what I've expected, so touchy.

Chinese New Year is a wonderful festival for family and friends to get together, for some it is a time of gambling or to worship their gods to bring good fortunes.

The superstitions of Chinese New Year can be irritating, In this modern society, can you imagine people are still following it without asking a question? I did not follow the custom if I think it is not logical but I learn to respect. Let me share with you some ridiculous taboos of Chinese New Year :

1) Sweeping or dusting should not be done on new year day for fear that good fortune will be swept away. There is a superstition that if you sweep the dirt out over the threshold, you will sweep one of the family away.

2) If you cry on new year day, you will cry all through the year.

3) We are not supposed to wash our hair because it would mean we would have washed away good luck.

4) Do not use knives or scissors on new year's day as this may cut off fortune.

5) One should not use negative terms and the word 'four' which sounds like the word of death. Death and dying are never mentioned and ghost stories are totally taboo.

6) Buying books is bad luck as the word for 'book' is a homonym to the word 'lose'.

7) A hair-cut is bad luck. The word 'hair' is homophone for the word for 'prosperity'. 'cutting hair' could be perceived as 'cutting away prosperity'.

Weather Forecasting Stone

2007-02-12T00:34:00.000+08:00

Enlighten me !!
Is this real or just a joke? It's so creative yet so damb.
Have a good laugh. :)

Men's Talk

2007-02-03T18:06:00.000+08:00

I've received interesting comments, objections and points are worth pondering in my last post - "For Men Only". Herewith are some highlights, as follows :
(Gentleman, please help to reply on any responds of your comment, I can't speak for you. :) thank you.)

Ladies, is our turn to listen and to understand men better now.

* * * * * *

Bob Gentile :

I listen and try to be as sincere as I can BUT I tend not to HOLD on to EVERY detail, not out of being RUDE, I just forget and BOY do I hear it from past relationships --geesh You women DONT FORGET ANYTHING :-(

Take it easy on us boys, most of us are good.... (when we are sleeping) --hahaa no we are good for the most part BUT we are wired differently...

Top Cat :

Men talk simple & direct, men have no trouble understanding one another, it's basically GRUNT GRUNT.. oh yeah dude I get it.. grunt grunt.

Women on the other hand talk around stuff, it's like "you know the dresser in the other room, I'm thinking I'd like to change some things, maybe the color, or the knobs or do something with the lighting!! Men get lost in this conversation because we have short attention spans..

Next time say.. "honey I want a new lamp for the dresser"

Jay :

Women and men are definitely wired differently.Just watch what happens when they watch a movie together. Especially a romantic comedy. The woman will be crying and think the movie is soooo sweet. The guy will look bored. LOL

Wayne Allen Sallee :

It is true that women don't forget a thing, but it is always best when a woman is patient enough to let a guy "catch up" with his memory and enter real time.

Dave :

You have to stop your mind from picking up on key words that are others are saying and running with this in your own mind. You should listen with your ears your eyes and your heart.

Do not talk until the other person has stopped and wait for all their words to sink into your head before you open your mouth.

Men are different then women in many area of life, but that is what makes it all fun.

Matt :

Men are designed differently, for different reasons.

We are all equal but we all have different strengths. Men are designed with less emotional response probably because of the type of work and type of situations men find themselves in.

In the special forces military, women would probably question why and have second thoughts about what it is their doing, men just act and suffer silently.

Even though what you say is true, I think it is every man's responsibility to try and be a better listener. I also think it has to do with the influences a guy has growing up.

Sage :

Say what? For some reason I feel like I just received a 440 volt shock! I never have the surge suppressor hooked up when I need it.

G-Man :

Yes Pink Ginger, women are very much like the phone company.....

1.) They are not cheap to own.

2.) Mostly reliable, but they have been known to shut down.

3.) Sometimes all you get is static.

4.) They leave when a better offer comes along.

5.) If you don't pay, your cut off!

A LOT like women......G

Jeseem :

Hey ms.440V, solution is simple. : give big shocks. I don't think 12V can forget it :)

I don't think men are forgetful. its just that their priorities are different from women. so while a women may consider a b'day celebration more important, guys may consider a vacation trip or long drive more important.

Goadman :

Think men are more non-verbal than women. (perhaps that was expressed in your presentation.) Not everything that happens has to be expressed in words!

Tom Bailey :

I think men listen better when the content is meaningful.

For example a woman wants to just be heard and a man wants to solve problems. The man has to listen but is not "supposed to" offer solutions. Not being able to give solutions is the frustrating part for the man.

They hear more than you think. If the "subject" is interesting a man's ears will perk up.

Jac :

I am a good listener but even then at times I feel that woman are impatient ?

The opinion is mine and I wonder, as a woman, if you can take my remark patiently ?

Steve :

I do notice that communication between men and women is sometimes a challenge - and sometimes not a challenge - depends on the individual people and conversation.

I do believe that where people are determines their ability to focus, receive and also to give. If one speaks and the other listens, no problem. But if one speaks and the other is thinking about other things or daydreaming or not available to listen for any number of reasons, there can be a missed connection.

And I think any gender can exemplify that.

For Men Only

2007-01-30T01:14:00.000+08:00

In his book “Making Things Right”, Dr.Faulkner believes there is a distinct difference in the listening ability between men and women.

Dr.Faulkner suggests that women are wired for 440 volts. We have little emotional wires sticking out from us in all directions. Women are wired for sound and two-way communication. We talk and receive. We hook into another person's emotions and needs.

On the other hand, men are wired for 12 volts. That's all. Men have two little wires sticking out, and they're both bent. Their speakers are usually hooked up, but receivers are dead. So men have to work a lot harder to listen than the women do. We're just wired differently. Men are like two tin cans and a waxed string, but women are hooked up like Ma Bell.

Archie and Edith Bunker's communication difficulties probably had little to do with one speaking English and other communicating in 'dingbat'. Dr.Faulkner might suggest that Archie Bunker give some serious attention to his bent wires and dead receiver.

I noticed that some men are good listener but they're just forgetful, men don't register what they've heard in their mind most of the time.

What's your opinion? Guys!
Perhaps you can let us know what can women do to contribute to your 12-volt wiring system, to help to improve your reception?

Why Must I Eat With the 2 Sticks ??

2007-01-23T00:38:00.000+08:00

I am not so skillful in using the chopsticks. To learn to use chopsticks is not my New Year resolution, it will never be in future.

People around me insisted that I MUST know how to use chopsticks, just because I am Chinese. They think am not qualifying for being Chinese if I don’t use chopsticks. Many of them will take initiative to guide me on how to hold chopsticks in public, they always educate me on ‘traditional values’.

I know I have to bear with these comments for the rest of my life as long as I don’t use chopsticks. However, I am a lady with an attitude. Am not a follower, I do what I think is right. I like fork & spoon, I will not use chopsticks for the sake of your opinions.

I’ve seen some people or non-Chinese having meals with chopsticks at Chinese restaurants, they struggled through out the meal in stress and sweat. In my opinion - Be it chopsticks or fork is just a ‘tool’ for dining, pick the one to make you feel comfortable so you can enjoy your meal, rather than to help to avoid embarrassment for breaching some code of etiquette.

Table manners are to make people look better when they eat and make people at the same table more comfortable. I do not force the issue, instead of creating a bad table manners, making a fool of myself.

Prefer to use fork and spoon doesn’t mean I am less Chinese or don’t feel proud of my tradition, or I’ve lost personal value in life. Am Chinese educated who embraced my cultures, I speak fluent Mandarin better than many who uses chopsticks, I have good knowledge of Chinese history. Does it matter?

Do not judge a book by the cover. e.g. Dye my hair to blonde color and wearing the blue contact lends does not make me to become a pretty blonde Caucasian!

Peach Color ??

2007-01-17T00:39:00.000+08:00

I need to purchase color papers for a project. My very kind friend says he will be going to the stationery shop, he can get the color paper for me. His sweet offer really made my day.

He called me when he arrived the shop, asking me which color I need. I told him Peach Color is the color that he has to buy.
"Peach Color?? What is Peach Color??" He replied with amazed.

I told him that peach color is a common color, he must be able to find it. He put down the phone and continues searching...

He called back after 15 minutes : "I found purple, red, light blue, pink... and so on... can you pick one of those?"

I still insisted that I need Peach color and asked him to check with the store assistant for help. I believe my suggestion really drive him crazy and panic, this is the reply he gave me : "Hey, are you being naughty or trying to make fun of me? PEACH IS A FRUIT, NOT A COLOR".

This interesting statement really blow my mind, I laughed and getting curious now... How to describe peach color to men?
If men can see (visualize) a sexy long leg when they see a nylon stocking, why can't they see color in peaches? Or there is no 'Peach Color' in man's dictionary?

Or perhaps, women see more colors in life?

p/s : He did not get the paper, because "Peach is a Fruit, not a Color". :)

Goal

2007-01-05T14:12:00.000+08:00

"The trouble with not having a goal is that you can spend your life running up and down the field and never scoring."

- Bill Copeland

Cholesterol

2006-12-22T17:42:00.000+08:00

I read an article about Cholesterol and surprised to know that - only 3% of the cholesterol in your blood comes directly from the cholesterol in your foods that are naturally rich in cholesterol, include eggs, liver, and some seafood.

The main sources of cholesterol are actually those foods that are high in saturated fats, such as fatty meats like pork, beef, lamb, butter, cream. The body turns these into cholesterol in the liver.

The cholesterol levels in your blood increase according to the amount of saturated fats you eat. There are many foods which contain no cholesterol, but which are rich in saturated fats and therefore raise the level of cholesterol.

Seafood lover like me can continue enjoy eating my favorite prawns, crabs and shellfish by reducing saturated fat intake from fatty foods.

Let's add more Veggies and Fruits to our Christmas & New Year feasts.

Wishing all of you a Wonderful holiday with love and good health.

When I Did Not Use My Brain...

2006-12-04T01:36:00.000+08:00

The most silly and incredible thing had happened when I did not use my brain.

I wanted to transfer a plant from a pot to a smaller vase to bring it to the office. I brought the pot to the kitchen sink, there is an excess soil while I need to clean up the pot.
I try my luck by pouring a little bit of soil to the sink and turn on the tap water… hooray!! It all flushed out by the water!!

Let’s try a little bit more…
Wow!! The soil flushed out smoothly again… Amazingly, It will not stuck.

Let's pour All the soil into the sink…
The water drained slowly this time and stopped after a while, oh yeah, the sink was chocked by the soil, finally…

I was not surprise as this is what I expected, but was just trying my luck and hoping that the sink will not chock. The plumber came, he was very shock that there are people doing silly thing like this, “who pour the soil into the sink? Should throw it in the dustbin”. I kept quite, I have no cheek to admit it was me.

Everyone in the right mind or to use their brain to think before they do will not pour soil into the sink. Am I stupid or naive? Yes, I am. But why am I stupid? That’s because am lazy, lazy to use my brain yet hoping for good luck.

I feel shameful for being lazy. A lazy person will make you a stupid person, as you’re too lazy to use your brain.

Could You Just Listen?

2006-10-24T23:12:00.000+08:00

This poem reveals the feelings of someone who badly wants to be heard :-

When I ask you to listen to me

and you start giving me advise,

you have not done what I asked.

When I ask you to listen to me

and you tell me I shouldn't feel that way,

you are trampling on my feelings.

When I ask you to listen to me

and you to solve my problems for me,

you have failed me.

Listen! All I asked was that you listen,

not talk to or do -

just hear me.

Advise is cheap;

the price of a newspaper will get you both

I can do for myself; I'm not helpless

maybe discouraged and faltering

but not helpless.

So please listen and just hear me.

And if you want to talk,

wait a minute or your turn

and I'll listen to you.

Vote for your Top 3 !!

2006-10-18T00:03:00.000+08:00

Funny signs captured by friend. Vote for your Top 3 !!

1. (Laundry Care)

2. (Bathroom Message)

3. (Road Work)

4. (Hiring - Computer Engineers)

5. (Dead End)

Still Holding Hands

2006-10-14T14:09:00.000+08:00

A few days ago, on my way back to the office after lunch, I saw an elderly couple holding hands walking on the street. With bright smiles on their faces, it was like any young couple, making eye contact, chatting with jokes and laughter…

I was stunned to see old people acting this way, it is so adorable, it makes me feel warm inside. Seeing elderly couple holding hands and get closer to each other is one of the most beautiful thing in the world.

In this society, we tend to place a value on people according to their physical attractiveness, income and status. The majority of elderly don’t score massively highly in these areas...
These are the things might be fading when you grow old. As we get older we will realize that thing everyone wants in the end is love and companionship. Is the spirit and feelings that matter.

Most people have lost all hope for a faithful relationship. what makes the elderly couple still holding each other after all these years? Must be their constantly investment in the relationship - with true love.

Relaxing Way to De-Stress

2006-10-03T00:41:00.000+08:00

I've been trying various methods to deal with extreme work pressure today… works that I do not know how to complete, creative thinking doesn’t flow to mind, I've lost all the ideas to deliver my work project with impressive result. I stay in the office with tired body, hungry and stressful.

Need a break, I called a friend for casual chat, we talked and shared some music interest, some funny discussions do make me laugh… friendships are like an iced cool sherbet to refresh your mind especially when you need someone to talk to.

Put down the phone, I played some music. Lying in my chair hugging my little pillow, I closed my eyes enjoying the music…. Thanks to the compiler, this CD is a great mix for soothing tension, the calm pace of the music with romantic and uplifting quality that’s great for stress reduction….

“fixing the broken heart”… “you're beautiful”… “can't cry hard enough”… beautiful music re-charged my energy, I finally get my job done …

I went home with a smile… yeah, looking forward to tomorrow, I am going to buy a new casing for my violin tomorrow. :)

Rich Without Money

2006-09-30T02:36:00.000+08:00

Visited a poor rural village in China in my recent back packing trip.

We always think that they are living in poverty but they don’t. This piece of land that they call home, they do not realize what’s happening in the real world, they are contented, down to earth and always bring a smile that could melt your heart.

“Why don't you leave this village and go find a new life in a city?” I asked. “the people in a city will never get what we have in their life, we’re not poor.” A young man answered me with confident, loud and clear.

I do not understand his philosophy, so I start observing everything about them during my one week stay…

We have one pet at home and they had many surrounding them.

We have a small piece of land to live and they have fields that go beyond our sight.

We have electric lights at home and they have the stars and moon.

We buy our food but they grow theirs.

We build up fence and wall around our house to protect us, they have friends to protect them.

We hire maid to serve us, but they serve each other.

We never speak to our neighbour but everyone in the village is their friends.

The young man was right – they are not poor. They are rich without money. We can never achieve what they have with dollar and cents.

We all should give thanks for everything we have, instead of worrying about what we don’t have.

Different Kinds of Good Weather

2006-08-31T14:17:00.000+08:00

Went to visit my violin teacher this morning.

Rain drops start falling while walking to the train station. I blamed the weather forecast, the trouble with weather forecasting is that it's wrong too often for us to rely on it.

If you bring sunshine with you wherever you go, walking in the rain is delightful. Cozy rain refresh my mind, drive away my anger.

Violin teacher gets me my favorite hot chocolate to warm my body. (he usually serve canned drink). Thanks to rainy day.

Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating. There is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather.

Pretty Innocence

2006-08-16T23:18:00.000+08:00

Not all innocence is lost when you grow up... Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming sunshine who make our souls blossom.

BioMagnetic

2006-08-12T14:46:00.000+08:00

Happened to browse an advertisement from my website - http://www.artcademy.biz/ about Biomagnetic Therapy.

Magnet therapy is the application of magnets for health benefits. It does not involve needles, drugs or surgery. This therapy is most effective when combined with reduction of stressful electromagnetic fields. Together these services are called 'Biomagnetic Therapy'.

To explain magnetic therapy in layman's terms : Think of the body as a dynamic organism that consists of individual 'electrical' cells. Each cell has a positive charge at its nucleus, and a negative charge at its outer membrane. When the polarities are equal, the body is able to function at its optimal level.

Research studies show that Biomagnetic therapy comes with very promising results. It can help to relief pain, reduction of inflammation and improved circulation, stress reduction, anti aging, cancer, heart disease, bleeding wounds... etc.

Natural therapy has crosses beyond herbs and organic foods.

雨中的三文治

2006-08-05T16:34:00.000+08:00

我咬着三文治走在人群中，敢路回家。

天色突变，而雨就要来了。所有的言谈都失去了声音，所有的默契都匆匆的冷了下来。

我们都不想停下来。当我们擦肩而过，当冷漠流过空间，我们毫无感慨。这种天气，这种感觉，寒意忽然涌上心头。

我们都累了。为了生活，为了理想，忙一些令人烦闷又无可奈何的事。快乐不快乐都不重要了，日子行云流水的过去，在耸耸肩，皱皱眉，回回首的重复过程中飞逝而去。

我们怎么了？忙里偷闲和宠宠自己的一点点时间都不愿留给自己了吗？

雨越下越大，街上塞满了长长的车龙，行人在车水马龙的街上加快了脚步。大家都焖透了吧！

我也累了。走到街边的长凳坐了下来。在雨中继续咬着渗透了雨水的三文治，看着街上的情景，我的心情美多了。。。

走的再快前面还是下着雨，累了，就歇歇脚吧！

Flower - Life's Small Pleasures

2006-08-02T02:25:00.003+08:00

Flowers are beautiful, a little glamorous, and always make the receiver feel especially cared for. I consider the gift of flowers to be the most thoughtful gift of all.
Friends were asking me : what would I pick if there is a flower and $100 on the table? I said I will pick the flower without hesitating. “$100 can buy you many flowers.” he said.
Yes, the flower may cost much lesser then the $100 but flowers bring happiness to me, $100 dollars can’t buy me happiness.

Flowers are a heartfelt, natural way to lift our spirits, they can brighten up your day, provide a smile for a tired face, bring surprises to a routine life. Flowers are also a simply beautiful way to express your love and appreciations, a tender way to say ‘I am sorry’.

Flowers gift are not expensive especially if you spend a little effort and idea into it, it's not necessary to get a nice well wrapped bouquet all the time. You can :

- Pick a few stocks of daisy in different colors, tie them together with a long ribbon, it gives you an exotic, natural and cheerful appearance.

- A small pot of blooming baby roses may cost below $15, Use a flower paper to wrap the flower pot and tie the pot with ribbons, you’ll be surprise how beautiful it can be. It’s more than just roses, you’re sending your love ones flowers plant all year long.

Women adore flowers, I’m sure men are secretly flattered when someone presents them with a stylish arrangement flower gift. You need not find reason or occasions to give flowers, do it as often as possible.

Violin - My First Love

2006-07-28T10:48:00.000+08:00

The Violin is one of the most satisfying and beautiful sounding instrument, it is one of the most difficult musical instrument to learn. The violin is the smallest and highest-tuned member of the violin family of string instruments, which also includes the viola and cello. Violin instrument is essential and the most important part of any chamber orchestra, they have also found in jazz, country, pop, blue, classical, rock and roll and folk music.

The violin bow, made of wood, metal, mother-of-pearl, horsehair strings rubbed with rosin, is drawn across the metal or plastic strings of the wooden violin. It's approximation of the human voice than any other instruments.

Playing the violin is a wonderful experience for me, learning to play violin is a responsibilities and commitment.
Learning to 'hear' violin music, learning to 'read' violin music, learning to 'play' violin music and learning to 'communicate' with violin music.

It takes years of consistently hard work and determination to reach performance standard. The strong desire to enrich my life with the violin enhance my definition of 'make it'. I never been good in violin at this stage but it makes me happy.

If you are a violin player or devoted to violin music and like to share your thoughts and ideas, Let's get connected.

Gentle Hero

2006-07-27T02:17:00.000+08:00

I’ve never been a big fan of Superman… it always bugged me that he has all the powers, flying around doing good deeds. Our base-model Superman will never fail, bad guys surrender and the old story keep repeating itself…

Walked into the cinema to watch “Superman Returns” because of the Superman poster (Brandon Routh) placing outside the tickets counter, this extremely handsome young actor with his deep blue eyes really caught my attention. (human loves beautiful creations).

I have to say I really enjoyed “Superman Returns.” It offers nearly everything : action, romance, fantasy, humor, and the special effects were fantastic. Brandon Routh, a charismatic actor who never been in the big screens did a great job for his big role.

This is a surprisingly tender movie, if Superman is so super, what about the depth of his feelings? The personal chemistry between Superman and Lois Lane making their brief encounters sweet, touching and rife with hidden emotion. Superman finally remembered to say ‘good bye’ to Lois before he left the plane for his next missions.

Superman might not be human, but he sure is sensitive, he has longing. Lois might have said the world doesn't need Superman, but it sure feels good to have him back.

The Story Behind the Pink Ginger

2006-07-26T14:14:00.000+08:00

Before I learn to acquire the taste of sashimi, I eat the pink pickled ginger in the Japanese restaurant more than anything else, I love it so much until my plate filled with the pickled ginger, it is the only incentive that keep me visiting the Japanese restaurant even though I don’t fancy about Japanese cuisine.

Friends like to make fun of me as the pickled has became my main dish, they called me ‘pink ginger’, since then, ‘pink ginger’ became my nick name, until today.

Now, I love sashimi as much as I love pink ginger, sushi can never be delicious without it. I have 2 main dishes in the Japanese restaurant now – my pink ginger & sashimi.

The color of the home made pickled ginger in a good quality Japanese restaurant is not pink, they are actually in a pale yellow color, crunchy and come with a fresh ginger aroma.

I have discovered a very exotic tropical flower, this unique flower is called “Pink Ginger” (Alpinia Purpurata). Origin from Malay Peninsular. You can widely find it in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and other parts of the South East Asia. Surprisingly, it is not the flower from the ginger root.

Pink ginger flower and pink pickled ginger, both are lovely.

Why Pink Ginger ?

2006-07-23T20:33:00.001+08:00

"Why pink ginger"? many are asking when they came across 'pink ginger' from my id, initial, e-mail from the internet.

I told them this is my real nick name, it has been with me for many years. Friends are curious and interested to know the story behind the pink ginger and where did I got this 'real' nick name from.

Some asking the following questions while guessing :

"pink is ok for lady, but why ginger? why not apple"?
"because you love cooking"?
"you like ginger snacks"?
"no way you can find ginger in pink" (ah.. of course you can.)

Today is an opening ceremony of pink ginger's blog. A place to share thoughts and views of life with you. Lets get it started.