Harry Potter is Lennon incarnate?

I don't know about you, but I find that Harry Potter looks really similar to John Lennon in this photo. This John Lennon photo is from BBC.

Maybe it's the spectacles... or Brit guys just have the same look?

When I pointed the similarity out to my colleague, she said 'no wonder both of them like Asian girls!' Hahahaha

When One Word Replies Means Bye-Bye

I've applied this tactic before, so I know when I'm being ignored. Haha. Well, just like that, it is a sign that the good old days are gone. And the distance is growing by the day, the minute, the second. A page turned. The turn of a screw. The door closes. The sun sets. Soon we'll be practically strangers again. Bye.

This could be an answer to my prayer. I'll be positive about it! ;) This chapter ends here.

Ha ha *snort*

On the way to work, I drive past Damansara Uptown and for the past week I've been noticing a bunting on the street lamp posts. It was about a new real estate development and there was a word in it which caught my eye - "Lohas." When I first read it, I remembered seeing it on an organic food shop/restaurant in Damansara Uptown (it's just down the road from Old Town Kopitiam). The shop name was "Be Lohas". I've never been inside before (as I've not reached that maturity where I need to constantly worry about where my food is sourced from). Anyway, all this time I thought the word "Lohas" was from some kind of South Asian language, maybe in Urdu or Sanskrit or something... you know, maybe it had similar origins as the word "karma"... haha... you'd never know in these days of 'zen' and 'feng shui' and 'ayurveda' and dot dot dots... (so don't blame me for my ignorance!)

Well, I just Google-d it (Lohas) and the answer is:

LOHAS

1. Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability (LOHAS) is a demographic defining a particular market segment related to sustainable living, "green ...

(from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LOHAS)

When I read it, I was laughing my a** off! This just proves the human mind is "omni-problematic" (term borrowed from Rev Dr David Wang). It was a simple modern-day abbreviation and I just HAD to assume the word had an origin which dated back to the time before paper was invented (picturing this in my mind) . Kudos SM over your over-imaginative mind! Now you just look silly! haha

Temptation(s)

I know this is the totally wrong time to be wanting things... but temptations always choose to come at the most trying of times.

I was minding my own business and being a good girl, paying all her bills and fees as they came due (especially this couple of months). My course fees and future travel plans really robbed me the last two months. I'm not exactly in the Red, but I wouldn't call it good financial planning to see your bank account horizontally zig-zagging like when we were trying to draw a mountain range in kindergarten.

On Friday, I accidentally saw the tech pullout of The Star lying on top of the pile of old newspapers in my office and while flipping through, I saw a product review on the Google phone Nexus One. From curiosity it led to research and then to "I want it now!" (Funny thing, this was how I wanted my current old-school cell phone and iPod nano 4th Gen. and eventually I got it! The former by winning a competition, the latter by one of my first few paychecks)

So feast your eyes on what I'm currently dreaming for:
(image is a URL from the official Google nexus one site)

Photo taken from here

And then today, after lunch, we went walking around a mall and happened to chance upon a watch shop. I went in, not looking for anything in particular and skeptical as to what the shop had to offer (it was the kind of "cina apek" watch shop), and Boom! I see something I like! All this time, I've seen nice watches but not nice enough to tempt me to actually research on them. This is the first time I've actually Google-ed for a particular watch and oh, the temptation is just killing me! Take a look and see whether it's worth paying more than RM600 (before discount)

This is the Fossil Philip S+arck Veilled watch for ladies (image URL from amazon.com). Beautiful. I think it's worth the RM600 (if only I had that much to spare). Help me!

p.s: I'm hoping that I'll get an unexpected raise or bonus soon... please boss, please! Probably not. :'(

Getting people to say 'Yes'

by Patricia Fripp and David Palmer
(summarised from 20100405 The Star, Metro Classifieds)

6 weapons of influence:

1. Reciprocation
- build a sense of indebtedness in someone by delivering a number of uninvited 'first favours' over time
- don't have to be tangible gifts, could be useful information etc.

2. Commitment and Consistency
- when you get someone to commit verbally to an action, the chances that they'll actually do it goes up sharply

3. Social proof
- people decide what is correct by noticing what others think is correct (principle of influence)
- product endorsements are the most obvious application of social proof

4. Liking
- people tend to trust anything or anyone familiar
- the best way to builid this familiarity is to have frequent and pleasant contact with those you want to influence

5.Authority
- most of us are raised with a respect for authority, both real and implied
- put this general principle into use by citing authoritative sources to support your ideas
- dress like the people who are already in the positions of authority that you seek

6. Scarcity
- principle of scarcity: opportunities seem more valuable when they are less available
- the possibility of losing something is a more powerful motivator than gaining something

So Blur

I just realised something. For the past week and a half, I've been doing more than my share of work. And all this rushing and staying back late, just because I'd forgotten the work arrangement! And my supervisor didn't mention a thing! And now it's too late to revert... (coz will seem like so "yim chim")

Sooooooo stupid man!

Hopefully this will only last for another week before our new colleague joins us!

sick

Me and the global stock markets aren't feeling well today. Sniffles. Feeling like I was drugged but I prevented myself from taking any meds this time around. Negative market movement all over Asia and Europe and the US. FTSE KLCI included...

Easter Sunrise Service

Just when I thought I was burning out, He shows me that there is still hope here. This Easter was a refreshing experience for me personally! The video testimony on Friday night's "A Happy Day!" musical made me realise that there is so much more which underlies what we can see with our eyes. The testimony was by one of the ushers who serves in DP. Imagine the many years we've exchanged smiles and shook hands every Sunday morning but we never knew how much he had gone through in life and how God changed him, giving him a new lease of life.


Sunday morning was a struggle (to wake up, and it was drizzling!) but I thank God we got our act together and sped off to the National Hockey Stadium. I had set my alarm clock to ring at 5.40am, but we got up and went back to sleep (automated response). After some sleepy talk and indecisiveness, we finally decided to go for the Easter Sunrise Service. We went mad rushing to get ready and lock up Ah Yee's house (We were house-sitting for her).


We reached the Bukit Jalil area in record time. But we didn't know the directions to the National Hockey Stadium, so by faith we followed some cars and reached there a little late (past 6.30am) but only missed one praise & worship song. It was beautiful watching the sun rise while singing praises to Him. And SP mentioned something impromptu at the end of his message that answered a question I had had in my mind for a few weeks (about the servants and the number of talents given to each of them).


Below are some snapshots of the celebration at different phases of the sunrise (using my phone camera, hence the low resolution!)

Ooh, and I saw a hint of a rainbow while driving home in the evening (so nice!). Tried taking a photo while driving but some editing is needed before it can be posted on blog.

*sings "Oh happy day, happy day, You washed my sin away"*

Just a passing thought

I was reading the first few lines in this article and a thought crossed my mind. I don't mean to be anti-government and all (in fact, I specifically selected this news for our news broadcast to promote the good side of Malaysia) but is our newspaper reports some sort of propaganda channel? (oh wait, I just found out it was written by Bernama... so that explains a lot!)

Anyway, I shall elaborate on my initial thoughts as mentioned above. The article starts off with how our Prime Minister has "woo-ed" the Chinese community by attending (a.k.a 'showing face at') various Chinese celebrations and functions throughout his first year tenure as leader of Malaysia. While his presence at these events show that he is making an effort to include the Chinese community into his undoubtedly busy schedule and thus convey the subtle message of his equal concern for all races in Malaysia, it should not be used wholly as a sign that the status of the Chinese community has actually been improved because of him. Results and actions, rather than cosmetic or superficial diplomacy acts, should be used as a yardstick of how far he has leveled the equality between the races.

What was written seem to imply that the Chinese community is very happy and obliged because he chose to grace their events. That all the past injustice was cured by his simple acts of thoughtfulness. Does the writer really think that the Chinese are that simple minded?

It is mentioned later on (quoting political analysts) that the current new generation of Malaysian Chinese are more concerned with issues, rather than making money (unlike the older generation who were mainly first or second generation Malaysian Chinese). Issues that would affect our future generation's education and opportunities. Issues that concern our rights as Malaysians. Issues that would bring advancement and the general well-being to the country. This is a sign that the Chinese community is evolving into one that is boldly taking ownership of what it truly means to be a Malaysian. To be part of the rakyat, and not just another race group in the demography of Malaysia.

One of the political analyst also said

This explains why some Chinese voters even voted for a party which had been promoting its aspiration of an Islamic state in the last general election as well as several by-elections after that as they had adopted a different political thinking from that of their parents.

Isn't it a wonder why the Chinese voters polled for any other party under the sun besides BN in the last general election? A message is being sent by the rakyat to the party leaders: that we will no longer swallow all the 'kowtow'-ing of the MCA leaders. It is time for a change.

What we need is more action than talk or branding campaigns or publicity stunts or full-page coloured newspaper ads. A little less of politicising and a little more of implementation. Our Prime Minister's four initiatives - 1Malaysia, Government Transformation Programme (GTP), 10th Malaysia Plan (10MP) and New Economic Model (NEM) - promises good things, but how far will the implementation effectiveness be is still a question mark. Perhaps it is still too early to draw any conclusion about these plans that he has for Malaysia. All hope is on his earnestness to carry out these initiatives to completion and achieving each of their objectives by leaps and bounds above what was set.