Happiness (X)

I love nature.. prefers hiking to shopping.. prefers the peace and tranquility of nature...

There's lots of hiking trails in TW.. maybe it's (finally) time to explore all the natural beauty TW has to offer..


Disclaimer: These drawings are owned by Last Lemon and I've no intention of infringing any copyright..

Happiness (IX)

Did I mention I like reading?? and I'm as guilty as hell for Tsundoku too..

For 2017, I'm still gonna set a target of reading 100 books.. but I will try to read at least 50 non-comic books..


Disclaimer: These drawings are owned by Last Lemon and I've no intention of infringing any copyright..

Happiness (VIII)

Used to do this a lot during my last 6 months in Japan.. My kitchen here is almost existent, although I can still cook somewhat..

Missed having a big kitchen... missed cooking and baking... missed all those friends...


Disclaimer: These drawings are owned by Last Lemon and I've no intention of infringing any copyright..

Happiness (VII)

Other than the three wishes stated yesterday, the one thing I will be doing more in this new year is:

Yes, this is easier said than done, but I will never stop trying...



Disclaimer: These drawings are owned by Last Lemon and I've no intention of infringing any copyright..

Happy New Year!!

Happiness (VI)

This is something I'm still learning to do...

...and will keep reminding myself to chill at times...


Disclaimer: These drawings are owned by Last Lemon and I've no intention of infringing any copyright..

Happiness (V)

This is what I hope to create in my home in Malaysia....

but first I need to ship all the books I currently have in Taiwan back first... >.<



Disclaimer: These drawings are owned by Last Lemon and I've no intention of infringing any copyright..

Happiness (IV)

This is what I hope to do more...

and the one huge reason why I like to do couch-surfing, like I did in 2014.. Looking forward to more CS experience in the future!!

Disclaimer: These drawings are owned by Last Lemon and I've no intention of infringing any copyright..

Happiness (III)

This is what I would like to do.. as I've seen, hear and experienced so much..

Though not many like listening to me as they think I'm boasting, but those who do listen often like to come back for more...  :)


Disclaimer: These drawings are owned by Last Lemon and I've no intention of infringing any copyright.. 

Happiness (II)

Today's much simpler...

It's what I like to say: I can live anywhere as long as there's a clean bed and good internet connection..  :)

Disclaimer: These drawings are owned by Last Lemon and I've no intention of infringing any copyright.. 

Happiness (I)

I want to share my take of happiness with drawings from Last Lemon.. I'll share one everyday till end of the year..

The first one is what I'm doing right now.. or kinda...

so in a way, I'm moving in the right direction.. :)

These drawings are owned by Last Lemon and I've no intention of infringing any copyright.. 

Olympics

Have always been a sports fan, and there's no greater sporting event than the Olympics.. been glued to my TV since the Rio Olympics started more than a week ago.. watching any and every live (or repeat) broadcast of any events.. alas, there's whole lot of interesting (team) sports that weren't shown..

Since the next Olympics is going to be in Tokyo, Japan, and I have free lodging (kinda) there, I'm definitely not going to be absent from this world class sporting event in 2020! Watching the Olympics in person is one of my bucket list, so I'm definitely going to fulfill this wish list of mine.

Referencing the official website,  I'm already planning what sports to watch.. :)  most probably, I will try to catch women's football, handball, hockey, karate, rugby and volleyball games. Yes, I chose mostly team sports because firstly, these sports are seldom shown on TV as women's team sports are not popular in Asia, except karate maybe. Secondly, I used to play most of these sports, except football and rugby, so it will be great to watch world-class players in action. Finally, it's more fun cheering for teams than individuals.. And no, I won't want to watch the usual favorites live, like swimming, basketball, athletics and diving, since I know tickets for those events will be selling like hotcakes and there will be no lack of fans cheering the athletes on. Also, I may also stay and watch the Paralympics too, since I've never watch any events from this "parallel Olympics".

Am gonna start saving... so that I may fully immersed in that awesome Olympic sporting spirit as a spectator!!

if something's strange in the neighborhood....

Just went to the cinema here to see this latest 're-invention' of one of my favorite movies.. Ghostbusters!!

I REALLY like it  A LOT!! I had a great time and really good laughs... It's both nostalgic and new.. the bond and camaraderie between the ladies are very strong. And with three out of the four leads coming from SNL (that's Saturday Night Live for the uninitiated), these ladies are simply hilarious! Both Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones can really hold their own against more seasoned Melissa McCarthy and Kristen Wiig. It was really fun watching them have fun. Also, I liked the way how the original cast of Ghostbusters cameo-ed in the movie. 

Maybe some might think, "Meh.. what's there to watch about 4 girls doing what real men were supposed to?" That's so sexist and condescending!  Heck, some of the world's most influential countries are now headed by FEMALE leaders. According to this website, there are a total of 22 female leaders in the world as of Jan 2015!! And with the inaugurations of President Tsai Ing-wen (Republic of China - Taiwan) and Theresa May (the UK) this year, that number may be higher!!

I think everyone should just leave their misogynistic views and sexist feelings aside, and just go in and enjoy this fun-filled summer (movie) treat. Would totally watch its sequel(s) !!

If there's somethin' strange in your neighborhood
Who ya gonna call?
(Ghostbusters!)

If it's somethin' weird an' it don't look good
Who ya gonna call?
(Ghostbusters!)

back for CNY

Yep, I'm back in Msia for CNY. :)

Unlike previous years, I won't be helping my parents with CNY preparations or cookie-making. I'm with my sister helping her out at her clinic. We do plan to make some simple cookies but 'plan' is the keyword here. Not too sure how much cookies we'll be able to make after an entire day's work. Anyway, we are going to try.

Was planning to visit my godson in Singapore end of this month, but couldn't get any bus tix so I had to cancel my plans.. Was looking forward to meet up with some friends and ex-colleagues too.. oh well.. looks like I will need to wait a year or two before being able spending some time with my godson.. :( Haven't hugged him since 2009, although I've seen him many times through video chats..

Anyway, I will be in Malaysia till end of the month before flying back to Taiwan on Mar 01. Time flies when you are having fun... :) :)

these past two months

Went home these past two months. Was in Malaysia for the month of October and November. Nothing serious, just went back to help my sis.. If it wasn't for my other commitments in TW, I would have stayed longer, but no matter, I will be back to Msia again in January.

Now that I'm back in TW, I have lots to do, among them taking over as my dept's journal editor and several website translation jobs. Seems like my talents and abilities are finally getting some real appreciation.. :) although I am still committed to getting my PhD, my priorities have changed somewhat.. My main focus, at least for the coming year, is helping my sis and making sure she has all the support she can get.

Lots have happened this year and I foresee lots more are going to happen in the year(s) to come. This blog would most probably be neglected as I have to be stingy with my time. My plate is getting fuller and that's a good thing, right? :) Anyway, I will continue to post some stuff here once in a while, with (slightly) more postings in Twitter and Instagram as they are more spontaneous and less work needed. Of course, FB remains my main SNS that I'll use to keep in contact with all my friends and family.

Happy holidays in advance!

Europe trip 2.0

Have always wanted to visit Europe again after my Europe 2009 trip.. and this coming 24th, I will be flying off to Europe once more! :)

My conference paper were accepted by EGOS so I will be attending their 3-day conference in Rotterdam this July.. after careful thought, I've decided to go earlier and stay on later.. after all, I'll have to endure some 17 hours flight + transit time between Taipei and Amsterdam.. I'm not gonna 'suffer' for almost 34 hours in a plane only to spend 3 days for the conference..  all in all I will be spending 23 days in Europe, more specifically The Netherlands and Belgium.

So the cities that I'll be visiting: Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Antwerp, Ghent, Brussels and Utrecht.  I could visit more cities with the time I have but I prefer to not spend most of it on trains/buses trying to get from one place to another. Thus I am going to stay a few days in each city so that I can get a feel of the place. I was never a fan of  rushing around  like contestants in "The Amazing Race".. That is also one reason why I've decided to go to Couchsurfing (CS) to look for hosts. What better way to get to know the cities than to stay with the locals, right?! So other than my time in Rotterdam where I've booked a hotel room through the conference organizers, I'm opting to stay with CS hosts.

This time round, I've decided to be more flexible which is something new considering what a control-freak I am.. I plan to list out the places that I wanna go, prioritize them and find out everything about the place (transport, opening hours and entrance fee, etc). Then when I get to that city, I will decide when and where to go. One thing for sure is that I will definitely try to visit as many museums as possible.. Other than museums, any other touristy places that I manage to visit will be a bonus..

Now that I've completed and submitted my full paper for the conference, I will have more time to sit down and plan this trip of mine, although I will still need to prepare the slides for my presentation at the conference. Nonetheless I am sooooo excited. Can't wait to set foot on Europe again..

ran out.

If you have been following my blog (which I hope you are although I don't put much confidence in it), you should notice that I've kinda ran out of things to put.. No more Sunday Serenade.. no more Poetry Solace.. and with the ease of posting through Twitter and Instagram, I've kinda sidelined this blog..

Anyway, I'll try to write at least once a week.. or simply share some random photos I took some time ago.. Another thing I wanna say thank you to those whom have been following this blog.. It may seemed narcissistic but I'm writing because I know someone out there is reading..

Have a great work week ahead!

got a PhD? so what?

Yes indeed.. For those who know the ways around it, it's really no big deal getting a PhD here.. As long as you have loads of money and/or the right 'connection', you can get a PhD, no problemo... You don't have to do real research work, cos you can either pay someone to do it for you or use the connection you have to apply pressure, and voila! A PhD degree at your doorstep..

One huge reason for this malady is the fact that people here often pursue the degree for (all) the wrong reasons. There are multitudes of reasons but rarely for the want to advance the research field or to contribute to the academia. Some are doing it because it is no longer brag-worthy as eMBA graduates are a dime a dozen these days.. Many did it or are doing it because they had to as their job/promotions depend on it.. Many are treating it as a job/chore, something to get over and done with.. Most of them want the prestige of being called 'Dr.' but not the real hard work that comes with it.

Universities here, and maybe everywhere else, are trying to 'improve' their research creed, especially now with all emphasis on world rankings and what-not. And what did the universities here do? Accept every Tina, Dick and Harry into the PhD program and force them to publish as part of graduation requirement.. So as long as they can pay the tuition and satisfied the barest minimum, just admit them.. At the same time ease the graduation criteria - no more qualification exams and less credits hours needed.  Any surprise that in the end, they attracted all the wrong people or people with the wrong type of mentalities?

When the only thing in the minds of these PhD students is 'How do I get the degree with the least amount of effort?', what do you get? Tons of 'research' papers published in dubious/shady journals. They will search for the most 'lenient' or 'payable' journals and try to get published there.. And these 'journals' will print whatever crap you write as long as you pay their hefty 'publication fee'. Yet some of the papers are so bad that even those journals rejected them. Most of the time, once published these papers will never be read/cited.

Seriously, what is the point of having so many PhD holders when most of them don't cut it? What is the benefit (to the society/country) of having so many such graduates? It only cheapens the value of a PhD and demoralized those whom really put great effort into their work. Once they get their PhD, many of these 'Dr' will never ever read much less write another research paper.. And for those faculty members, all they need is to publish until they get their tenure as professors, then they are 'secured' for life and can just 'cruise-along' until their retirement..

Though it is hardly a case of life and death, I don't think research is a field that should never tolerate mediocrity or sloppy work. Everyone should have the 'can do' and not 'can make do' attitude. We must never compromise, cut corners, steal other people's work or falsify data/results. Not all of us can be Porters, Maslows or Hofstedes nor can we all win Nobel prizes, but we must be willing to put in the effort required for good research.

PhD is no easy path..

I know that it is rare to find someone who really LOVE research or simply love to think, brain-storm, and then write about it. Although I did meet my fair share of phony scholars and pseudo researchers, I am/was very fortunate to have been taught by a few exemplary professors. They showed me how it is to be a conscientious and devoted scholar. In many ways, their passion and work ethics influenced me in wanting to be part of the academia. Unfortunately, what I've seen and heard here kinda dampened my interest in pursuing a future in the scholarly world.

Frankly, I don't count myself as being really passionate about research but I am going to do my best while I'm at it. I'm setting higher and more ambitious targets for myself because I know I can do it. I'm not saying that I will produce a masterpiece or be revered as a great researcher but at the very least it must be worthy to be referenced by other scholars. And I also believe that the things I learned along the way will be invaluable and as satisfying. I'm not saying that I am better than everyone, but I do think I am better than many of them.. Alas, to each their own.. if they can live with themselves, who am I to comment/judge? All I can do is do my best in my own ways and live up to my sets of work ethics.

I know by writing all these, I may have antagonize or offended many of my classmates and/or faculty members.. Yet I cannot NOT vent my frustration and disappointment.. After being in the PhD program for almost three years, I know the rules of the game.. I will play by the rules but I will do it my way on my conditions.. I will graduate when I feel that I'm well-equipped and qualified to be called 'Dr Goh'.

Kaohsiung 2014: Pier-2 Art Center

Didn't have any fixed itinerary planned for the trip to Kaohsiung. I just list out some of places that I wanna go and just kinda go with the flow. Since I reached Kaohsiung around noon, I've decided to go 駁二碼頭. It is easy traveling around the city as there is a subway to get you to almost everywhere.

駁二碼頭 was interesting as the whole place was used to be a pier with lots of 'abandoned' warehouses. Many of them are housing indoor exhibitions that are ticketed, which I am not willing to pay. Why pay when there are free stuff outside? Plus the fact that those exhibitions didn't pique my interest. Maybe because I've been disappointed by many of the 'special' exhibitions held in the museums here.

There are some very nicely drawn murals, a couple of outdoor sculptures and a few interesting shops. One is selling all things paper, although very unique, didn't manage to make me wanna part with my money.. :P Maybe I wasn't in a mood to shop..

Anyway, here are some of the pictures I've taken of the place..

There are many of these 'workers' statues around the area, each pair being decorated in different themes/colors. Some are just plain 'Urgh' while some are quite tastefully done. Again, another example of 'beauty in the eye of the beholder' for appreciating arts.

The entire place is very pedestrian and bicycle friendly, with dedicated tracks for each. The place is very well-kept, clean and green.

Here are some beautifully painted murals.. The colors are vivid and bold.. and looked as if they were just painted recently..

ps: those are REAL people. 

Not a bad place to spend a leisure afternoon.. :)

looking back @ 2013

2013 has been a rather peaceful year for me, relatively speaking. And I am blessed to have received help and assistance from many around me this year. I am sincerely grateful to and for them.

Looking back, I  can’t seem to find any major upheaval of any sort. Yes, I’ve been pissed and frustrated quite a few times during the year, but nothing that I can’t get over. Most of them stemmed from unrealistic expectation and assumptions I have of people that I thought were my friends. So for the coming year, I will no longer allow these people to affect me in any ways. Will spend more time with positive people, friends and family, whenever possible. Life is too short, ignore all morons and negativity.

School-wise, 2013 was not too bad. Chosen an advisor who allows me the freedom and space to do things my way. Best decision ever for 2013. Had 2 papers published in a so-so journal. One was previously my homework assignment (me as first author) that I have improved upon, while the other was a proofreading job with extra perks (got paid and got listed as 3rd author :) ). So I will not set targets that are any lesser for 2014.

Health-wise, 2013 was a lazy year. The estate that I’m staying has a (free) gym of sort, so for the coming year I resolve to make use of it more often and start jogging more frequently. I am already doing lots of home-cooking ever since I moved to this place in June, so for 2014 I’m gonna eat more greens and fruits, and use less oil, salt and sugar in my cooking. Health is too precious to leave it in the hands of others.

I’m a hermit and I like to hibernate in my room. Did a lot of that in 2013. So for 2014, I will try to go out more often and visit outside of Taipei (and Danshui area where I’m staying). Also for the new year, I will continue to read (managed to read around 65+ books this year) and watch as much TV series as I can. :p These are my ways of relaxing and escaping into my mind. Hope to do some overseas traveling, if possible.

Looking forward, I hope 2014 will be a year of health, family/friends and (self) love. Anything else will be a bonus. And one thing is for sure, I’ll do my utmost to make 2014 a memorable one as it will be the last year of my thirties.

Happy New 2014, Everyone!