Updates

Been very busy lately.. so sorry for not updating my blog.. will try to write bits and pieces when I do have time.. and I will try to not make writing this blog an assignment that I need to get everything right and proper.. I have enough reports, assignments and papers for me to do all that..

Weather here is crappy.. wet and cold most of the days.. it's not a problem if I didn't have to go out of my room, but I need to attend classes on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and go for my English play date with my senior's kids on Thursday nights.. and without a kitchen and a fridge that has a proper freezer, I can't cook.. or rather I can't cook the way I want to.. so I had to either stock-up on food or go out in the rain and get food.. neither which I like doing, especially in a wet and cold day/night, as the former meant eating cold and dry-tasting food while I need to get wet and cold before having hot food for the latter..  :(

Anyway, there's nothing much I can do about the weather... so I'll just have to live with it and adapt..

Sunday Serenade: let it be

Other than "Imagine", this is one of many songs, its lyrics especially, that I really like.. and this shall be the last of my Beatles' song sharing.. 

p/s: the video was very well made.. 

Let It Be 

When i find myself in times of trouble 
Mother Mary comes to me 
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be. 
And in my hour of darkness 
She is standing right in front of me 
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be. 
Let it be, let it be. 
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be. 

And when the broken hearted people 
Living in the world agree, 
There will be an answer, let it be. 
For though they may be parted there is 
Still a chance that they will see 
There will be an answer, let it be. 
Let it be, let it be. yeah 
There will be an answer, let it be. 

And when the night is cloudy, 
There is still a light that shines on me, 
Shine on until tomorrow, let it be. 
I wake up to the sound of music 
Mother Mary comes to me 
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be. 
Let it be, let it be. 
There will be an answer, let it be. 
Let it be, let it be, 
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be.

Have a great week ahead!! Stay safe and healthy!!

Sunday Serenade: hello, goodbye

"hello" and "goodbye" - two very simple and often used words.. thus no wonder this song is so catchy.. :)

p/s: 'OMG' is the word I'll use to describe what the guys were wearing... :p

Hello, Goodbye

You say yes, I say no. 
You say stop and I say go go go, oh no. 
You say goodbye and I say hello 
Hello hello 
I don't know why you say goodbye, I say hello 
Hello hello 
I don't know why you say goodbye, I say hello. 
I say high, you say low. 
You say why and I say I don't know, oh no. 
You say goodbye and I say hello 
Hello hello 
I don't know why you say goodbye, I say hello 
Hello hello 
I don't know why you say goodbye 
I say goodbye. 
Why why why why why why do you say goodbye goodbye, oh no? 
You say goodbye and I say hello 
Hello hello 
I don't know why you say goodbye, I say hello 
Hello hello 
I don't know why you say goodbye, I say hello. 
You say yes, I say no, 
You say stop and I say go go go, oh no. 
You say goodbye and I say hello 
Hello hello 
I don't know why you say goodbye, I say hello 
Hello hello 
I don't know why you say goodbye, I say goodbye
Hello hello 
I don't know why you say goodbye, I say hello hello




Have a fruitful week ahead!! Be safe and stay healthy!

Poetry Solace: Of time and doors of daring

Two more poems from Henry van Dyke.. Enjoy!

Time Is

Time is

Too Slow for those who Wait,

Too Swift for those who Fear,

Too Long for those who Grieve,

Too Short for those who Rejoice;

But for those who Love,

Time is not.

Doors of Daring

The mountains that enfold the vale

With walls of granite, steep and high,

Invite the fearless foot to scale

Their stairway toward the sky.

The restless, deep, dividing sea

That flows and foams from shore to shore,

Calls to its sunburned chivalry,

"Push out, set sail, explore!"

And all the bars at which we fret,

That seem to prison and control,

Are but the doors of daring, set

Ajar before the soul.

Say not, "Too poor," but freely give;

Sigh not, "Too weak," but boldly try,

You never can begin to live

Until you dare to die.

Have a great weekend and be safe!

Sunday Serenade: can't buy me love

It's Beatles' time again!!  Enjoy!!

Can't Buy Me Love

Can't buy me love, love 
Can't buy me love 

I'll buy you a diamond ring my friend if it makes you feel alright 
I'll get you anything my friend if it makes you feel alright 
'Cause I don't care too much for money, money can't buy me love 

I'll give you all I got to give if you say you love me too 
I may not have a lot to give but what I got I'll give to you 
I don't care too much for money, money can't buy me love 

Can't buy me love, everybody tells me so 
Can't buy me love, no no no, no 

Say you don't need no diamond ring and I'll be satisfied 
Tell me that you want the kind of thing that money just can't buy 
I don't care too much for money, money can't buy me love

Have a great week ahead!! Stay safe and cheery!! :) :)

Presidential

In about 24 hours, the world shall find out who the Americans vote for to occupy the White House for the next four years. Personally, I really hope it won’t be MR. I must admit that I am very biased against him. He just feels ‘slimy’ and ‘shifty’ to me. Though I’m not a big fan of BO, he is the one who seems to be more trustworthy and cares (more) for the little people.

Seriously, with chaos and unrest in several problematic areas/nations that might threaten the stability of those regions, the last thing this world needs is a “Bush Jr”-clone. We don’t need another rich-arrogant -white Americans president who believes China is the ‘bad guy’ and Wall Street fat-cats deserve more tax-cuts. Many outside of the US hopes that OB will continue the good work of rebuilding America’s reputation and respectability within the international community that his predecessor has destroyed, in addition to the economy mess he inherited from No. 43.

Anyway, I will be watching CNN as it is covering the election all round the clock. I like the way these CNN anchors put forward their views and opinions, especially Richard Quest and Anderson Cooper. One is funny and sarcastic, while the other is serious yet warm. These are true journalists who value-add with their professionalism. I might not agree with their views/opinions, but I can't deny that what they say make sense.

Dilbert

Have you read Dilbert, the comic strip? And if yes, do you get the humor and sarcasm? I simply love Dilbert and have read every book I can get my hands on.

Apparently not everyone gets the jokes. I incorporated a couple of them in one of my presentations and when I put them up on the big screen, few of my classmates got the humor. Many looked puzzled and/or lost. Is it because of the IT-centric scenarios? Or because they were in English??

I don’t think the first reason stands. The comic strip makes fun of technology, workplace and company issues. Even its author, Scott Adams, attributed its popular success to its workplace setting and themes. So poking fun at managers and bosses should be a common and universally enjoyed pastime for anybody who had ever worked under a boss. Personally, I like how it ridicules the nonsensical but true ignorance of some of the bosses while making decisions and how clueless these middle/top managements are about technology.

Thus I think my classmates will get the pun if those strips were in Chinese instead. Yet, no matter how well it is translated, seldom will it retain the original nuance as I believe that you need to enjoy the joke in its intended language.

Sunday Serenade: a hard day's night

This is one of those songs with their simple lyrics and catchy tunes that kinda stick in your mind.. :)

p/s: Again, I've found the Beatles' cartoon for this song..  and it was aptly themed for post-Halloween with all the non-scary monsters.. :)

A Hard Day's Night
It's been a hard day's night, and I've been working like a dog 
It's been a hard day's night, I should be sleeping like a log 
But when I get home to you I find the things that you do 
Will make me feel alright 

You know I work all day to get you money to buy you things 
And it's worth it just to hear you say you're going to give me everything 
So why on earth should I moan, 'cause when I get you alone 
You know I feel ok 

When I'm home everything seems to be right 
When I'm home feeling you holding me tight, tight, yeah 

It's been a hard day's night, and I've been working like a dog 
It's been a hard day's night, I should be sleeping like a log 
But when I get home to you I find the things that you do 
Will make me feel alright 

Owww! 





Have a great week ahead!! Be safe and stay healthy!!

Poetry Solace: Of home song and four things

This week, it's poems from an American poet, Henry van Dyke.. ..

A Home Song

I read within a poet's book

A word that starred the page:

"Stone walls do not a prison make,

Nor iron bars a cage!"

Yes, that is true; and something more

You'll find, where'er you roam,

That marble floors and gilded walls

Can never make a home.

But every house where Love abides,

And Friendship is a guest,

Is surely home, and home-sweet-home:

For there the heart can rest.

Four Things

Four things a man must learn to do

If he would make his record true:

To think without confusion clearly;

To love his fellow man sincerely;

To act from honest motives purely;

To trust in God and Heaven securely.

Enjoy your weekend! Stay safe!!!

Dependent

Millions of residents in areas devastated by Superstorm Sandy are still without power. Even when CNN anchors grilled the representatives from the power company, no definitive dates is given as to when power will be restored. And that led me to this conclusion: "We are too dependent on electricity."

Our need for energy is fast becoming insatiable. With all the smartphones, tablets and whatnot that we have and use every day, we are consuming energy like it is free and bountiful. And the truth is far from that. Everyone wants to be connected, 24/7 if possible and unfortunately this need for connection is sucking up loads of energy and resources. Is it that crucial that you check in to every single place you go? Is it that critical to let everyone (on your FB) know immediately that you are at this particular place/restaurant/cafe/wherever?

a walk around the park costs nothing..

 Our dependence on technology has tied our fate ever closer to the availability of energy. Earth Day comes and goes every year. Switching off the electricity for an hour is fun and participation has become a sign of eco-conscious. Yet, are we giving Mother Earth a real breather by going dark just for an hour?? We should have an Earth Hour every day. Stop checking your phone, your messages, your emails and your friends’ FB status every single hour/minute/second. Instead, spare an hour or two and take a walk around your neighborhood or park, play a sport with your friends, or simply sit and look around. Most often than not, the best thing in life is free.

Preposterous

Received an email from one of my juniors this morning. She has to do a presentation on an English academic paper to the class as part of the assessment requirement for one of our subjects. She wants to engage my service to translate this paper into Chinese. More than just translating, she wants me to list out the main or important points of the paper for her too! When I read her email, the thought that came to my mind was: “WTF! She might as well ask me to do her presentations slides too!”

Maybe she misunderstood my offer. Earlier, I told her that I can help her if she has any problems. Maybe I wasn't very clear. What I meant was I can help to explain parts of the paper that she doesn’t understand. Maybe I misinterpreted the intent behind her request. Maybe she wants me to translate the paper so that she can compare with her own version and learn. I just don’t know.

I really do understand why English terrifies (maybe the word 'terrorizes' is more apt here) many of my classmates and I do realize how difficult it is for them to read an English paper. Academic papers are no easy reading material, and even I sometimes struggled to grasp those profoundly complicated theories that are often put forward in some rather confusing ways. Yet, I strongly believe that if you put enough effort and time into it, you will eventually get it. And once you do, no one can take that knowledge away.