I know of this extraordinary monk through my lecturer, Mr. Kweh. He gave me a copy of Ajahn Brahm's book "Opening the Door To Your Heart" in response to a bit of positive gestures by me. He informed me of a talk that is to be conducted by Ajahn and I am glad I attended. I am amazed by his eloquence and more by his ability to see things so simply and from different perspectives that is often overlooked by you and me.
I received a bad news today of a friend who I know of for only about one month. But life have to go on.... there is no option. While doing other things on the computer, I searched for Ajahn Brahm on the internet and ended up on a site with a number of downloadable speeches by Ajahn Brahm. Now, I am wondering why on earth do I search for him on the internet? Anyway, I believe all of them will be useful in all aspect of my development and my contacts' development. Coincidentally or not, one of them, actually the first one I listened to, is very relevant to what I am experiencing now. Read on ....
"When we're actually talking about somebody else's death, what is your attitude towards it? How do you relate to it? Obviously, the death is something you cannot change. But, the way you look at it can be changed. Usually as many of you know when there is such a thing as a death, instead of letting you look at it with negativity, we say it is a break to the life. What a wonderful thing it was to have known the person for such a time, however long that was. For if I haven't known them at all, for if they haven't came into my life I'd be much poorer as a result. See we're relating not to what's been taken away, we're relating to what we have had. We're grateful to have known the person for so long and wouldn't have missed their company for the world. What a wonderful thing it was that I knew the person. And straight away, the way we relate to the problem changed. Instead of ill will, aversion, grief and desire, we are actually looking at it with a positive attitude. The thing itself is not the problem, it is the way we look at it.”
Adapted from a Dharma Talk, "Attitudes to Life" , by Ajahn Brahmavamso on 27 Feb 2004
His talks are available in mp3 format at http://www.bswa.org/modules/mydownloads/viewcat.php?cid=4
Although the file size is large (12.0 to 16.0 Mb), the download speed is relatively fast.
June 30, 2005
Song For A Friend
Always On My Mind
by Willie Nelson
Maybe I didn't love you
Quite as often as I could have
And maybe I didn't treat you
Quite as good as I should have
If I made you feel second best
Girl I'm sorry I was blind
You were always on my mind
You were always on my mind
And maybe I didn't hold you
All those lonely, lonely times
And I guess I never told you
I'm so happy that you're mine
Little things I should have said and done
I just never took the time
But you were always on my mind
You were always on my mind
by Willie Nelson
Maybe I didn't love you
Quite as often as I could have
And maybe I didn't treat you
Quite as good as I should have
If I made you feel second best
Girl I'm sorry I was blind
You were always on my mind
You were always on my mind
And maybe I didn't hold you
All those lonely, lonely times
And I guess I never told you
I'm so happy that you're mine
Little things I should have said and done
I just never took the time
But you were always on my mind
You were always on my mind
June 27, 2005
Revamp Our Paradise
There has been substantiate amount of renovation and reconstruction going on, especially on the shopping belts, during the past five years. Ten years ago, I would not imagine an underground linking City Hall MRT to Suntec City. What this means is while Suntec City would probably remain a frequently-visited place due to its large retail space and highly-profiled exhibitions, fans have to bear with the dull walk across the war memorial park and bad weather on a lucky day. Now, look what we have today.... Citylink Mall, which not only link us to the faraway land of Suntec, but is itself, a shoppers' haven. Old kid on the block, Marina Square, has just completed its $120 million makeover.... and for a few times, the word 'makeover' is used with exceptional appropriateness. It seems like a whole new navigating experience when I walked around the mall recently. The question on my head is not how am I going to get around this place. The question is how did they do this. It is as if I have reached the 8th wonder of the world.
Considering that the average age of a shopping complex in the city is about 15 years old (not supported by official statistics, yet) and changes around the world is taking place at breakneck speed by the second, our obsession with revamping might not cease in the near future. And cease, it will not. We have another confirmation from The Straits Times that Orchard Road is going to be revamped and the specific, individual development are reported. Most notably, that of Far East Plaza and Crown Hotel. This is, more likely than not, in response to competition from major shopping belts that is going to emerge in City Hall and HarbourFront. Not to mention the Integrated Resorts, further South.
Looking at the big picture, we know that these are for the cause of attracting more tourists to our country. Looking at the same big picture again, I cannot help asking whether Singaporeans, in general, are ready and willing to take on this task of attracting more tourists. The physical aspect of redesigning our retail industry is addressed more than adequately, but what about other aspects which really matters: Customer services and the way we do things. Perhaps we can imagine a revamped shopping mall as a wife who has regain her beauty after a plastic surgery.
On customer service, I hardly find an impluse to write a complimentary letter for a service well-provided. More often than not, inspite of fearing for my own blood pressure, I find it very justified to remember poor attitude to customer services. Can anyone stand with a salesperson who greets you while looking the other way round because they thought you are going to ignore them? Can anyone stand with a salesperson whose head seems bigger because of the brand they are helping to enhance? Generally, frontline staffs do not understand the nature of their job and are simply not respecting their profession enough. They only seem to understand these when serving a expriate or tourists. Even so, they are not ranked highly on a recent customer service survey done on tourists worldwide. Why? I leave you to explain this. The same survey on the locals, the absolute sales supplier, would paint a worse picture. Just as a beautiful wife is not of much use if she finds even smiling at you a chore, there is no point making the malls beautiful when services are ugly.
Then it is the way we do things, especially the way we have to close our shops in the city before 10pm on weekdays. And it is not because we need to open our shops at 6am the next morning. A dating, working couple would find themselves going nowhere but home after a 45-minute dinner. Perhaps to watch a movie. That explains why there are lesser and lesser movie goers in other parts of the world, while there are more here. Today (25th June 2005, Saturday) is brutally honest when asking whether we have nothing better to do. Professionals who clock limitless overtime would find shopping a luxury, although they have the money. During the beginning of the Great Singapore Sale, I was embarassed when three shopping malls openly publicized their midnight shopping hours for one night each over the weekend to kickstart the festival. Our tourists, especially those from cities as modern as ours, must have had a good laugh at this. It seems that the bosses prefer their shops to close earlier, thus reducing operating overheads. It seems that the employees are not willing to work late hours. Come to a consensus, bosses and employees, you know the way to make Singapore a better place. In my opinion, the spirit of a city lies on its night's life. Perhaps that is why we still have people referring Orchard Road as town. There is little life after dark. I may suggest to the cut-cost committee to switch off alternate street lamps since night entertainment is so limited and there is really not much people and vehicles after midnight. Therefore, just as a beautiful wife is not of much use if she sleeps early and wakes up late, a revamped shopping belt would not be much attractive if it closes its door when customers are calling.
I am not protesting for the Government to do something. They have done enough. In some circumstances, their powers are limited. The onus is now significantly upon us to make this land we call home a more interesting place... everyday. A city which truly does not sleep. A place where the streets lamps are better utilised, with policemen who loves night duties in the city. Changes is excellent and that includes changes to intangibles which matter.... still have a long way to go to becoming a beautiful and good wife.
Considering that the average age of a shopping complex in the city is about 15 years old (not supported by official statistics, yet) and changes around the world is taking place at breakneck speed by the second, our obsession with revamping might not cease in the near future. And cease, it will not. We have another confirmation from The Straits Times that Orchard Road is going to be revamped and the specific, individual development are reported. Most notably, that of Far East Plaza and Crown Hotel. This is, more likely than not, in response to competition from major shopping belts that is going to emerge in City Hall and HarbourFront. Not to mention the Integrated Resorts, further South.
Looking at the big picture, we know that these are for the cause of attracting more tourists to our country. Looking at the same big picture again, I cannot help asking whether Singaporeans, in general, are ready and willing to take on this task of attracting more tourists. The physical aspect of redesigning our retail industry is addressed more than adequately, but what about other aspects which really matters: Customer services and the way we do things. Perhaps we can imagine a revamped shopping mall as a wife who has regain her beauty after a plastic surgery.
On customer service, I hardly find an impluse to write a complimentary letter for a service well-provided. More often than not, inspite of fearing for my own blood pressure, I find it very justified to remember poor attitude to customer services. Can anyone stand with a salesperson who greets you while looking the other way round because they thought you are going to ignore them? Can anyone stand with a salesperson whose head seems bigger because of the brand they are helping to enhance? Generally, frontline staffs do not understand the nature of their job and are simply not respecting their profession enough. They only seem to understand these when serving a expriate or tourists. Even so, they are not ranked highly on a recent customer service survey done on tourists worldwide. Why? I leave you to explain this. The same survey on the locals, the absolute sales supplier, would paint a worse picture. Just as a beautiful wife is not of much use if she finds even smiling at you a chore, there is no point making the malls beautiful when services are ugly.
Then it is the way we do things, especially the way we have to close our shops in the city before 10pm on weekdays. And it is not because we need to open our shops at 6am the next morning. A dating, working couple would find themselves going nowhere but home after a 45-minute dinner. Perhaps to watch a movie. That explains why there are lesser and lesser movie goers in other parts of the world, while there are more here. Today (25th June 2005, Saturday) is brutally honest when asking whether we have nothing better to do. Professionals who clock limitless overtime would find shopping a luxury, although they have the money. During the beginning of the Great Singapore Sale, I was embarassed when three shopping malls openly publicized their midnight shopping hours for one night each over the weekend to kickstart the festival. Our tourists, especially those from cities as modern as ours, must have had a good laugh at this. It seems that the bosses prefer their shops to close earlier, thus reducing operating overheads. It seems that the employees are not willing to work late hours. Come to a consensus, bosses and employees, you know the way to make Singapore a better place. In my opinion, the spirit of a city lies on its night's life. Perhaps that is why we still have people referring Orchard Road as town. There is little life after dark. I may suggest to the cut-cost committee to switch off alternate street lamps since night entertainment is so limited and there is really not much people and vehicles after midnight. Therefore, just as a beautiful wife is not of much use if she sleeps early and wakes up late, a revamped shopping belt would not be much attractive if it closes its door when customers are calling.
I am not protesting for the Government to do something. They have done enough. In some circumstances, their powers are limited. The onus is now significantly upon us to make this land we call home a more interesting place... everyday. A city which truly does not sleep. A place where the streets lamps are better utilised, with policemen who loves night duties in the city. Changes is excellent and that includes changes to intangibles which matter.... still have a long way to go to becoming a beautiful and good wife.
June 22, 2005
Aloe Vera Gel
About two years ago, I sent some sales literatures to my friends to publicize Vitamin-C products which my parents are dealing with as direct sellers during their spare time, with their spare income. I promised a bi-monthly publication, but was unfortunately unfulfilled.
Other than having a promise unfulfilled, the good reputation of my brand, P. C. Wu Inc., is intact considering that I was then operating in a controversial industry. I can be very confident about this since it is never my practice to recruit and hard-sell. The relationship is purely one of an honest salesman and a potential, powerful customer and nothing else.
Nevertheless, my parents have since become less involved in this “hobby”. Four years ago, it was Cha Cha, then it was Karaoke Singing. At a time, holidaying is something they did quite regularly. Since I am going to have my higher income soon, I intend to bring back one of the premium products we used to consume from Forever Living Products (FLP). It is none other than FLP Aloe Vera Gel…. Look at the poster above.
Or alternatively, look at the well-designed posters at
http://distrib.foreverliving.com/marketing/pageDisplay.do?page=prodCatAloe&siteID=USA&language=en
I want to share the goodness of this product and if you have done your research and is looking for this, you can ‘relax one corner’ and give me a call immediately.
WHAT DOES THOSE CERTIFICATION MEAN?
Forever Living Products
To find out more, go to www.foreverliving.com
Kosher Certification
The word 'Kosher' actually means 'fit' or 'spiritually fit'. As a result of kosher supervision, kosher products are scrupulously clean, and the word Kosher has become associated with premium quality. Kosher requirements are far more stringent than U.S. Department of Agriculture requirements.
“Kosher food has a powerful energy that gives spiritual, intellectual and emotional strength, while non-kosher food does the opposite. The kosher diet is truly the health-food diet for the soul, containing the spiritual nutrition necessary for survival.”
To find out more about the Kosher certification, go to http://www.okkosher.com/Content.asp?ID=22
IASC Seal of Approval
FLP Aloe Vera Gel is the first aloe vera product to receive the Seal of Approval certified by the International Aloe Science Council. It means you can be sure that FLP Aloe Vera Gel contains at least 15% of IASC Certified Aloe Vera and are properly processed to retain their value.
“It is a symbol that stands for integrity, honesty, quality and achievement. The seal demonstrates that your company has passed a rigid, professional inspection and audit for aloe use and aloe products, and that the quality of your aloe has been validated and certified by an independent group of professionals.”
To find out more about ISAC certification, go to http://www.iasc.org/index.html
100% Stabilized
“It is interesting to know that the valuable active substances of the plant are soon lost after harvesting, if the processing does not follow certain guidelines. To make sure that the properties of the compounds remain intact, the freshly harvested Aloe leaf must be process quickly and the extracted gel preserved.
At FLP, this is where decades of experience are put to advantage. The company has developed and patented for this purpose a unique Processing and Stabilization method so that the entire contents and active substances of the fresh gel remain intact and retain their naturalness. This stabilized Aloe Vera Gel is absolutely equalent in its health-aiding properties with that of the fresh-harvested gel of the plant.”
Adapted from http://www.world-aloe.info/english/aloevera_s1_e.html
I have no information about the Islamic Seal of Approval, but with the above, one should be extremely assured of the quality and goodness of the product.
The Singapore Retail Price (Incl. GST) is $42.96. I supposed this is still very much a hobby to my parents and they would still sell FLP products at a lower price and just clock the points for the fun of it.
Other than having a promise unfulfilled, the good reputation of my brand, P. C. Wu Inc., is intact considering that I was then operating in a controversial industry. I can be very confident about this since it is never my practice to recruit and hard-sell. The relationship is purely one of an honest salesman and a potential, powerful customer and nothing else.
Nevertheless, my parents have since become less involved in this “hobby”. Four years ago, it was Cha Cha, then it was Karaoke Singing. At a time, holidaying is something they did quite regularly. Since I am going to have my higher income soon, I intend to bring back one of the premium products we used to consume from Forever Living Products (FLP). It is none other than FLP Aloe Vera Gel…. Look at the poster above.
Or alternatively, look at the well-designed posters at
http://distrib.foreverliving.com/marketing/pageDisplay.do?page=prodCatAloe&siteID=USA&language=en
I want to share the goodness of this product and if you have done your research and is looking for this, you can ‘relax one corner’ and give me a call immediately.
WHAT DOES THOSE CERTIFICATION MEAN?
Forever Living Products
To find out more, go to www.foreverliving.com
Kosher Certification
The word 'Kosher' actually means 'fit' or 'spiritually fit'. As a result of kosher supervision, kosher products are scrupulously clean, and the word Kosher has become associated with premium quality. Kosher requirements are far more stringent than U.S. Department of Agriculture requirements.
“Kosher food has a powerful energy that gives spiritual, intellectual and emotional strength, while non-kosher food does the opposite. The kosher diet is truly the health-food diet for the soul, containing the spiritual nutrition necessary for survival.”
To find out more about the Kosher certification, go to http://www.okkosher.com/Content.asp?ID=22
IASC Seal of Approval
FLP Aloe Vera Gel is the first aloe vera product to receive the Seal of Approval certified by the International Aloe Science Council. It means you can be sure that FLP Aloe Vera Gel contains at least 15% of IASC Certified Aloe Vera and are properly processed to retain their value.
“It is a symbol that stands for integrity, honesty, quality and achievement. The seal demonstrates that your company has passed a rigid, professional inspection and audit for aloe use and aloe products, and that the quality of your aloe has been validated and certified by an independent group of professionals.”
To find out more about ISAC certification, go to http://www.iasc.org/index.html
100% Stabilized
“It is interesting to know that the valuable active substances of the plant are soon lost after harvesting, if the processing does not follow certain guidelines. To make sure that the properties of the compounds remain intact, the freshly harvested Aloe leaf must be process quickly and the extracted gel preserved.
At FLP, this is where decades of experience are put to advantage. The company has developed and patented for this purpose a unique Processing and Stabilization method so that the entire contents and active substances of the fresh gel remain intact and retain their naturalness. This stabilized Aloe Vera Gel is absolutely equalent in its health-aiding properties with that of the fresh-harvested gel of the plant.”
Adapted from http://www.world-aloe.info/english/aloevera_s1_e.html
I have no information about the Islamic Seal of Approval, but with the above, one should be extremely assured of the quality and goodness of the product.
The Singapore Retail Price (Incl. GST) is $42.96. I supposed this is still very much a hobby to my parents and they would still sell FLP products at a lower price and just clock the points for the fun of it.
June 21, 2005
Running Season
The second half of each year is what I call the running season because this is when all the high-profiled running and endurance races will be held.
Below are the events that are going to be held in the next half-year. For first-timers to endurance sports, I would recommend the Army Half Marathon (21km) and do sign up for the competitive run because you will get a medal when you complete the race. Two and a half month is enough to train for a half marathon.... if you are old or have a history of respiratory problems, consult a doctor before trying any stunts.
2-3 July*
Osim Singapore Triathlon Asian Championship
11 September*
Army Half Marathon & Sheares Bridge Run (21km, 10km)
October
Second Link Bridge Run (10km)
November
Swisstol The Stamford Vertical Marathon (73-storeys)
4 December*
Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon (42km, 21km, 10km)
On top of these, there are other corporate races like the SGX Bull Run and New Balance Aquathlon. The above-mentioned events, other than those marked with asterisks, are confirmed to be held. The rest are expected to be held based on my best knowledge of running events.
Wave hello or signal thumb-up if you happen to see me running around the north of Singapore these few months to train for the above events (Except Singapore Triathlon). I have participated in most of the above events and hopefully, with more time to train, I can complete them in a better timing. The training should also help me achieve the IPPT Gold which has evaded me since 18. This year would be my last to achieve the Gold award under Category X.
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