merdeka

Happy Merdeka Day, Malaysia!

Those who knew me know that I am very critical of my own country. Sometimes way too critical. Talking about the current situation in my country is one of the many things that would get me work up. When I was younger, I could not differentiate between the country and the government. Thus I was quite anti-MY during my years in SG. Then I realized that I was pissed at the government and the ruling party, not the country. Much like religion, it is often the humans who messed up.

 
As I get older, I recognized that there's no place as unique as MY. Most fellow countrymen (and countrywomen) are friendly, helpful and tolerant. We do live together in harmony. It is the government and the ruling parties that are creating rifts and hostility between races and various groups. They are the ones bankrupting the country. They are the ones instigating racial tension and distrust. They are the ones treating the country's coffer as their ATM and playground. They are the ones inflaming the 'us' versus 'them'  discord. Rampant corruption, due to their insatiable greed and inferiority complex-induced megalomania, has been the No. 1 ailment crippling the country.

Many times I did wish that things in MY are different. Now, I just wish for one: a change of central government. Of course, this might not be a cure-all for all the problems the country is facing, but at least it is a first step in the right direction of making this country great again.

Happy Birthday, Malaysia! Live Long and Prosper! Except for the government and the ruling parties..

academia meme

Three's a charm, so I shall continue to share the memes that I've created today.. Following my post on Wednesday, I've decided to create 2 more research-related meme (or sort of related), expressing what I've felt and experienced these past two years..

Am I being overly 'dramatic' or sensitive? Maybe. But that doesn't trivialize nor negate what I felt. The outward camaraderie that everybody see of us, the PhD students, is just that, a facade. I'm not saying that there are no collaboration among the students, but most of the time, it is only between students under the same professor. The 'Us' versus 'Them' mentality is too deep-rooted for them to really help one another. Cliques and protectionism is very prevalent as many faculties behave like feudal lords, fighting over limited resources like research funds and potential students. And this lead to my next meme..

Many may not agree with me, but I do think that the academic world has a lot in common with Westeros and Essos.. That being said, my enthusiasm of joining TW academia is decreasing by the month.. As much as I like this country, I really don't want waste my time playing these non-productive 'political games'..

tw meme

Following the 2 memes that I've created yesterday, I am moving on to TW.. TW is a very unique country, with lots of history baggage and limited international presence.. All because of CN.. Due to the rise (and pressure) of CN, many countries in the world have switched recognition from R.O.C. to P.R.C. and less than 25 countries in the world recognize TW.

Even so, the national pride and patriotism of the TW people is something that should not be trivialized. And I for one is biased towards TW (that's why I choose to come here to do my PhD and not over there). Thus my first meme.. :)

TW is a democratic country. All its citizens are very well-aware of their rights and are not afraid to take to the streets to demand them.. Their civic-mindedness and sense of justice is very strong. Yet, many times I do not understand their source of contention, especially with regards to the issue of food safety. They pride themselves on being different from CN and like to 'condemn' CN for all the toxic/fake food in CN. Yet, they were not outraged enough to stage any protests/sit-ins when so many toxic ingredients are found in their own backyard. I wrote about this a few weeks ago. Thus my second meme..

For those who don't read Chinese, here's a translation of the panels:
Top left : Respect Human Rights; Protest.
Top middle : Anti-corruption; No Dirty Money
Top right : End to Discrimination; Fairness
Bottom left: Misuse of Privilege; No Nepotism
Bottom middle: Taiwan is not China; Love Taiwan
Bottom right: Food products are totally safe; Relax! Let's continue to eat!

Again, the views expressed above are mine and most probably are biased. I'm just telling it like as I see it.. In future, there will be more of such memes on TW, SG, JP and MY.... so stay tuned.. :)

phd meme

People often have incorrect notions of what PhD students/candidates do. Lots of untrue assumptions and unreal expectations. And those "what ... think I do" memes that were a rage a while back did a good job dispelling these misconceptions. Many of these memes were shared and reposted over and over again through social media.. And here are two on PhD students that I found to be quite true, at least for me..

Seeing how well they convey multitudes of perspectives in a single image, I decided to create 2 of my own.. :)

What do you think?? I will be sharing more of such memes in my future posts. :)

well-being... eat

People say, "You are what you eat" and I couldn't agree more..

I eat everything. Almost. I eat whatever is available. I am one who eat to live, not live to eat. If there is a choice, I prefer noodles/pasta over rice. I also like bread, pastry, pies and cakes. Don’t really like salad, but I will eat them when it is part of a set menu. I prefer fruit salad over vegetable salad. Vegetable, for me, has to be stir-fried, even if it’s just with oil and garlic. I like ‘slimy’ vegetables like okra and eggplants. I also like bitter gourds, onions and corns. They are either full of antioxidants, anti-inflammation and/or antiviral. :) 

fresh produces is a must.. 

I prefer my food cooked, except for Japanese food like sashimi and sushi. I also like spicy food, not Szechuan-style but SEA-style spiciness. I want to taste and savor the spices rather than have my lips and tongue numbed. I have a pretty strong stomach and I can stand eating fairly hot food, though I try not to put my stomach through extreme spiciness. 

Also, I know that I can never be a vegetarian. Maybe not every meal, but I can’t imagine not eating meat at all. No special preference of meat, but depending on how they are cooked. For curry and rendang, I prefer beef and mutton. For Chinese dishes, I like pork. For deep-frying, it’s prawn and squid; for pan-frying, I prefer fishes; for roasting, it's chicken. So you can see I am equal opportunity meat eater.. :) I am also an egg-lover, but I try to keep my egg consumption to about one per day.

When I go grocery shopping, I will normally look at stuff that is on sale and get whatever I feel like eating. So in a way, I am not brand loyal as I’m willing to give all brands their fair chance. I will usually compare their nutritional content and choose those with low sodium and fat content. Of course, I will indulge once in a while with some potato chips and chocolates. As for fast food, I rarely have them when I'm in TW. 

try to have pizza only once a month.. unless it's home-made

My fridge doesn’t have a decent freezer compartment, so I can’t have frozen food like store-bought pizza or ice-cream, which is a good thing as it forces me to buy (and cook with) fresh produces. I will always buy seasonal vegetables and fruits, as they tend to have lesser pesticides and much fresher. I do keep some cereals, oats and muesli bars to satisfy my occasional hunger bangs at night or for breakfast. I am trying to follow the saying: "Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper", although my dinner is still pretty substantial. 

All in all my take on eating: Don’t eat from the same restaurant/shop for a long period of time. Don’t eat the same food over and over again, just because it is (supposed to be) good for you. Spread your risk around by buying from different sources so you won’t be ‘poisoned’ by the same manufacturer or food producer. Limit your intake of deep-fried, high sugar and high sodium food.

Finally, have you watched Jamie Oliver's TED speech? Find time to watch it.. It's scary to think that the younger generation might not survive their parents, and the main culprit is the food we eat. Obesity is the No. 1 cause of all lifestyle related illnesses like high-blood pressure, diabetes and heart diseases, just to name a few.. Thus, we all have to be mindful of what we eat, where it came from and how it is cooked.

In short, eat more fresh produces and less processed food. Moderation and variation is my food mantra.

well-being... drink

I've decided to talk about 'drink' before 'eat', because up to 60% of our body is water. What we drink will affect our bodies much quicker than food, intravenous drugs and medicine aside. Case in point: alcohol consumption.

Health experts have always told us to drink 8 glasses of water everyday, while some had said that we should only drink when we are thirsty. What do I do? I drink at least 2 liters of water every day, more if I'm out in the sun. And according to Mayo Clinic, I'm doing right.

The water I drink is plain water, not sodas, not flavored water and definitely not alcohol. I’ve always believed in simple plain water. My drink ‘vice’ is fruit juices. I do drink lots of fruit juices, especially orange juices. However, I’m trying to cut it down as I know that these juices are loaded with (artificial) sugar. When I do buy juices, I will try to get those that are 100% fruit juices and with pulp (for orange juices).

a beer or two.. with friends..

When it comes to alcohol, I do drink once in a while especially when the company is right. With my sweet tooth, no surprise that my drink of choice is sweet liquor, like Kahlua, Baileys, Irish Cream and those sweet desert wines. I’m not a great fan of wine or beer, but I will drink when there’s nothing else on offer or when everyone else is drinking it. During my years in Singapore, I used to drink a glass or two by myself, especially during weekends, cos it helped me to relax and not be so tensed up. I like the feeling of total relaxation, but I will only do that alone or with people whom I can really trust.

Yet after hitting 35, I stopped drinking by myself. My family has a history of liver-related ailment, with 2 (paternal) uncles of mine succumbing to liver cancer in their forties. So I decided to stop drinking. It makes no sense to play roulette with my liver. It is already working overtime, as there are far too much toxic in the food I had (unknowingly) ingested over the years than for me to further burdening it with voluntary consumption of alcohol.

I was never a coffee drinker. My dad is a tea drinker and there was no coffee in the house until I went to Uni. When I was in NUS, coffee didn't help me stay awake when I need to cram for my exams. But it all changed when I started working. Suddenly, I can’t sleep if I drink coffee after 2pm. Nowadays, I will drink a cup of coffee if I have morning classes. Just one cup, no more. I prefer black coffee, either with no sugar at all or very sweet. Two extreme ways of having my coffee. :)

I’m not a fan of sodas or gassy drinks. I only drink them once in a while when I have cravings for them. I drink tea, be it green, English or Chinese tea, but only moderately. I learned the hard way how ‘potent’ these teas, especially Chinese and green tea, are to my body. In one particular month I had more than 20 cups of Chinese and green tea, and I had the worst menstrual cramps ever. The cramps were so severe that I was semi bed-ridden and had to take the maximum doses of painkillers for 4 days! Thus for now, I only drink tea 3 times a week, one type per week.

So what is my take on drinking? Well, do everything in moderation and listen to your body. Take note of what you are drinking. Be mindful of what your body tells you. I will know that I didn’t drink enough water the day before, when I suffer a running nose the day after. So in order not to suffer from ‘burst pipe’, I will make sure I drink enough water every day. I always have a glass of water beside me when I work on my laptop.

All in all, drink more (plain) water and skip the alcohol. 

taiji

To those who doesn’t know, Taiji is a fishing village in Wakayama, Japan where annual dolphin ‘hunting’ is being carried out from September till the following April. I wrote about this more than 3 years ago, after watching the Oscar winning documentary, The Cove. 

I have loved dolphins and whales since I was a kid. I love everything about dolphins and whales. They are gentle and smart animals, especially the dolphins. When I was young, I used to that: if only these dolphins and whales could talk, what wonderful tales would they share with us? 

After watching that documentary, I realized how cruel and mindless the entire system of catching these dolphins was. I used to love seeing them in aquariums and watching dolphin shows. Now, I refuse to neither visit aquariums or zoos with whales and/or dolphins nor watch dolphin performances. 

Though I am no hardcore environmentalist or activist, I do know that I can try and promote the awareness of these senseless killings so that more people are aware of the atrocities that are being committed in the name of culture and tradition. And I really admire those who risk their lives in the frontline defending and protecting these animals, like these guys/gals. Their methods may seemed drastic, excessive and sometimes even 'fanatical', but I do think that they are making a difference. Sometimes we need both strong extreme measures and soft approaches to instigate a change.

The Chinese's appetite for sharks fin soup is endangering these apex predators, while the Japanese's obsession over their culture/tradition of whale and dolphin hunting is threatening the survival of these gentle mammals. Two major groups of people who pride themselves on their ancient and enlightened civilizations are causing the extinction of these animals so that they can have some meat/fins in their bowl. Can't they see how ironic that is? 

I recently read this article "Why don't dolphins fight back?" and it blew my mind.. I really think that human beings are the only species in the world who are capable of such cold-blooded killings. But there is hope. Last Dec, dozens of Japanese has joined in the protest against the dolphin hunts. Though their numbers may be small, it is significant nonetheless. Things have to change not just in Japan, but in Iceland, the Faroe Islands and Norway too. I'm just hoping that these small changes will turn the tides soon as time is running out (fast) for these amazing cetaceans. 

Sunday Serenade: if i lose myself

It's gonna be the end of summer holidays soon.. So let's lose ourselves and enjoy the last few days of summers! Here's a song by OneRepublic.. Enjoy!

If I Love Myself

I stared up at the sun
Thought of all the people, places and things I've loved
I stand up just to see
Of all the faces, you are the one next to me

You can feel the light start to tremble
Washing what you know out to sea
You can see your life out the window, tonight...

[chorus]

If I lose myself tonight
It'll be by your side
I lose myself tonight...
woooh, woooh, woooh!

If I lose myself tonight
It'll be you and I...
Lose myself tonight
whooooooo...

[end of chorus]

*Instrumental*

I woke up with the sun
Thought of all the people, places and things I've loved
I woke up just to see
Of all the faces, you are the one next to me

You can feel the light start to tremble
Washing what you know out to sea
You can see your life out the window, tonight...

[chorus]

*Instrumental*

Take us down and we keep trying
40 000 feet keep flying...
Take us down and we keep trying
40 000 feet keep flying...
Take us down and we keep trying
40 000 feet keep flying...
Take us down and we keep trying
40 000 feet keep flying...
Take us down and we keep trying
40 000 feet keep flying...

Lose myself
If I lose myself tonight..

Whoooooooooo
whoooooo,whoooo,
whooooooo

Have a great week ahead! Stay hydrated and be safe!

well-being... intro

How are you? A simple question that you will be asked whenever you meet people. Actually, it is the first question people asked. Whether they are asking because they really have your well-being in mind or just common courtesy, your answer is more important to you than to them regardless of what those answers may be. Why? Because only you would know how exactly are you feeling. Because only you would be able to do something about it if you are not at your best.

Frankly, not many would stop and think about their own well-being unless something happened, either to them or to someone they know. We like to think of ourselves as 'indestructible' until something happened, either physically, mentally or spiritually. Thus we often "abuse" and misuse our body and mind thinking that 'bad things' wouldn't happen to us.

From dictionary.com, well-being is defined as "a good or satisfactory condition of existence; a state characterized by health, happiness, and prosperity; " while Wikipedia has a slightly different one. One thing is for sure, well-being is NOT just about health, although good physical shape is an important part of it. In the future, I am going to look into different aspects of our lives that constitute our 'well-being' and share some of my thoughts about them.

Poetry Solace: Of old man in sun and shadow

Old Man in Sun and Shadow

by Daniel Mark Epstein

Of all my worldly goods and society,

Nothing is left but a table and chair,

A lamp casting dim light on a dark book,

And a grinning skull that will outstare

My blinking gaze unto eternity.

I gave my house to the homeless,

My money and shoes to the poor.

If that brings no balm or happiness,

They are no worse off than before.

I gave my friends to each other,

My enemies to themselves. I pray

No favors of God or man except

Sunlight and silence where I might find

Some way to slow the minutes of a day,

Save motes of hours from Time's wind.

What have I given that I should have kept?

What have I kept I should have given away?

Have a restful weekend.. Be safe!

flood

Tropical Storm Trami just swept pass Taiwan less than 48 hours ago. It brought massive amount of rain and flooded many places, especially lowlands and inland mountainous areas. Although I’m staying a few kilometres from the river, my estate is situated on an elevated plain and with my room on the 4^th floor, the possibility of experiencing flood is almost next to zero.

Having said that, I did experience flooding while I was young. Maybe unknown to many, I didn’t grow up in a big city, but a medium sized town. Even so, I didn’t live downtown. I've stayed in many houses that were in the outskirts. One of those houses was especially memorable for all the right and wrong reasons. That estate was kinda like a disorganized housing project where the roads were muddy and outages of utilities happened sporadically. Although there was a well in our compound, we didn’t use it for water. My daily task was to fetch water from the well, using a bucket with a rope and NO pulley system, and water my dad’s vegetable garden. And that’s how I got my strength. :D

Whenever the monsoon season hit, our house faced a possibility of being flooded. Water would usually come up to our porches and many times it did come into the house. And to be on the safe side, we would usually move everything on top of the chairs and tables before going to bed. The water that came into the house is usually murky and smelly. And I hate the cleaning-up afterwards, as it was very tedious. 

Looking back, it was both terrifying and exciting at the same time. The road leading to my house would turn muddy and we had to wrap plastic bags around our school shoes when we go to school. There would be puddles of water on those muddy roads whenever it rains. After a few days, we would be catching tadpoles in those puddles.

Those were really carefree days. Money was tight back then but I think my siblings and I had the chance of experiencing a rather unique and interesting childhood. And those memories are priceless.

Taichung Trip (IV)

By the time we got back to Taichung City, it was already dark.. so we went walking along a street (which I can't remember the name) and saw some restaurant with very interesting facade..

front view

We went passed National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts which I didn't have the time to visit. Here's a few photos from its exterior..

There were also some street performances along the street. Didn't really have the time to get good night photos of these performers. Here's two of them..

fire twirlers..

street performers..

All in all, it has been a good trip.. a bit rushed but interesting.. hope to visit soon... :)

Taichung Trip (III)

Taiwan is famous for its temples.. and among the deities worshiped, Mazu has the most followers and thus the most temples dedicated to her. And one of the more famous Mazu temples is the Zhen Lan Temple (鎮瀾宮) in Da Jia (大甲). You can check out their website here.

We didn't stay long at the temple, thus I didn't have the time to explore the temple thoroughly. Anyway, here's some photos of the temple.

always love the intricacies of temple cravings.

it was some occasion which I can't remember.

Other than the main temple building, there is a basement beside the temple with more wall cravings and a golden statue.. :)

Not far from this temple, there is another temple called Wen Chang Temple (aka Scholar Temple). We went in to take a look and pray for blessings too..

We then went walking around some interesting streets in Taichung city center. That's in the next post coming up.

Taichung Trip (II)

Went to another private university around Taichung area, because there is a little chapel that is popular with photographers there. Here's some photos of the place..

the popular chapel in the campus..

 

 

 

 

My classmate's nephew's friend was on a mission to win his girlfriend back. He wanted to compile a photo journal with pictures taken from 100 different famous places in Taiwan. He drives, so my classmate and I just tagged along when they went around Taichung taking photo. That's one reason why I didn't get the chance to explore the city on my own, especially National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts.

Next stop was a famous Mazu temple.