Here's My Story

On my way back to KL from Canberra, I took a Qantas flight from Melbourne to Singapore, scheduled to depart at 5pm local time. The domestic flight from Canberra to Melbourne, on the puny Qantaslink plane, went smoothly and so I had more than 2 hours to laze around the airport. Boarding time was at 4.20pm. Around 4pm, there was an announcement that the flight is delayed. Since the plane was just right outside, we could see some (presumably) engineers working on the plane. The new departure time was 6pm, with boarding time at 5.30pm. I just shrugged and continue reading the free newspapers. Unfortunately, at about 5pm, there was yet another delay - this time to 7pm. Goodness, that meant the plane was scheduled to touch down in Singapore only at about 11.45pm (local time). I was feeling bad for my friends who would need to stay up till then (I was going to stay over at their place). I groaned and silent said, "You gotta be kidding". To give them some credits, Qantas g...

When I'm in Australia, I will inevitably discover some interesting subjects for me to take photo of. This is especially true for the spring season. There's something about flowers of varying colours and birds busy finding food (especially for their ever hungry chicks!). So alive.

Incongruent, isn't it?

My student, whom I've tutored in Math, has gotten his Primary 6 national exam results on Thursday. The great news is that he has gotten A in Math! Woot! It feels great to be able to help others to succeed. The immediate action I'm taking now is to help him with basic math techniques e.g. multiplication of numbers that are multiples of 10s, approximation method to help in division. I've already suggested this be done in 2 or 3 sessions free of charge. I've also made clear to his mum, who is my sister's godsister, that there is no obligation to continue with me if there is another tutor who is better for him. I'm all for him getting the right help.

One fine cool afternoon, after a bout of heavy rain, I swept and mopped the floor. It was quite pleasant as I hardly sweated. Also, my laptop was playing music CDs, after making sure Ban was fine with that (he was working on his PhD). Then a particular Gloria Estefan song came on that prompted me to have a slow casual dance with Ban, who gamely acquiesced to my whimsical request :) I felt so joyful dancing with him for these few minutes. I was smiling all the while :) Simple bliss.

Found this advertisement in a community newsletter in Canberra: Didn't know mother-in-laws are that...'resourceful' :P

Had the privilege to eat organic bok choy, grown without fetiliser and pesticide by my sister in Australia. As shown above, it was in a bowl of spicy seafood ramen with fish tofu. Yum! Unfortunately, the cucumber seedlings were kept being eaten by slugs. Any idea of how to solve the problem without resorting to chemical warfare?

Sometimes when I asked someone a question (usually in reference to what that person said), I was immediately given a two-word response: "Google it." Don't get me wrong. I'm all for putting information online as it helps to disseminate knowledge as widely as possible and, for those who use internet, as easy as possible. However, for some people, it has some adverse effects. It makes them lazy to engage in lively discussions. They basically has outsourced their memory retrieval and social skill to Google! This is bad because: (1) they're not exercising their brains and thus accelerate the decline of their cognitive functions. Yes, googling enables them to gather vast amount of knowledge but that is not enough to keep your mind active and healthy. You need to also exercise the ability to retrieve and use them. (2) it reduces social interactions. Discussion is one of the main ways of social interactions. In the past, people can spend considerably time discuss...

Love isn't about taking what you want; it's about wanting happiness for the one you love. - Kahlan Amnell in the book "Temple of the Winds" of the "The Sword of Truth" series

When I was working in Singapore, Nothamsap was studying in Sydney. We met a couple of times in Singapore and once in KL (when I was visiting Ban regularly) but thereafter, it was like fate playing a cruel game with our schedule :) For example, when I moved back to Malaysia, he then moved to Singapore, looking for work. In September, I was in Singapore for a week and so contacted him. However, he was flying back to Sydney. Latest example is best illustrated by this sms dialogue: Me: Hey Nothamsap. I'm in Canberra. Nothamsap: I am flying to Malaysia today hahaha. Me: Lol. Are you avoiding me? ;) We keep switching geographical positions! Nothamsap: I know! How long are you going be in Canberra for? Me: Until Nov 12. Nothamsap: I am coming back on the 11th!!! Omg. Me: :D You just changed your arrival date, didn't you? You sux ;) Nothamsap: Hahaha no, I didn't. Aiyo. We should arrange it next time. Me: Yes, we should! Perhaps when we next meet, we may be to...