@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ Welcome! 欢迎!@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

Welcome to my virtual home. This is a little private space for me to put my thoughts and share my feelings since 2005. Due to my wide range of interests, there are perhaps too many tags. I would explain some of the less obvious tags:

"About Life" is really about how I have been pondering about life and what enlightenments and paradigm shifts I had experienced.

"About Psi" contains most topics about happiness, optimism vs pessimism,
confidence, comparison, pride and prejudice and other psychological aspects.

"About Logical Thinking" is about my own way of interpretating and explaining
certain issues, aiming to debunk (or create?) superficialness of them.

"About Ideology" is about my thoughts on big concepts like freedom, justice,
fairness in society and religion.

"About Society" is more about my observations about the society, often through interactions with different peoples.

"My Country" reveals my frustration, critics and hope
on my homeland - Malaysia.

"My Little Pieces" has more short posts though mostly are written in Mandarin.

While I do have some posts on book reviews and business, I am planning to
separate them into author-specific and content-specific blogs. Stay tuned.

Enjoy your reading!

Monday, June 30, 2008

Learning to change

I want to change strongly. The change is not about hairstyle as you guys might have been suggesting ^^, but about ways that I do things and live my life. Wanna change to be a much better person, in many aspects of life. I know I can be but I always lazy to go out of my comfort zone.

Now it's transitional period in life. If I don't change now, I will lost the golden opportunity to change. Past 4 years of university life have taught me many lessons (non-academic one), and it's time for me to practice. Along the way I has slowly learnt that I have many weaknesses but only one unique strength. Hence the only way to improve myself is to rectify my weaknesses by capitalizing on my strength.

In the coming months, I will scrutinize my set of moral values, keep the good ones so that you guys will feel I am still the same, and improve on the weaker ones by learning from others so that you guys can see the better of me. Challenging, but interesting.

Talk about change, there is no other words more powerful than this quote from one of the most influential people that had ever walked in this planet:

“be the change you wish to see in the world.”

Sunday, June 29, 2008

轻率

轻率的疏忽,尤其是偏心的轻率的疏忽,有时候是很容易让人心寒的。有些事情,我是永远不会懂得。当然,我的原则可能是无谓的。

Friday, June 27, 2008

序言 | Prologue

[注:这是柬越游记的其中一篇文章。为了文章的连续性,请从主文:柬越游记开始。]
[Note: This is one of the articles of "Cam-Viet Tour". For better reading experiences, please read from the main article: "Cam-Viet Tour"]

古有西游记,今有柬越游记。古有四人长途跋涉历经磨练为取经,今有四友游山玩水偶经磨砺后取了经,不同的是,前者取的是佛经,后者取的是社会经。原来,毕业旅行的意义不仅仅在于共同玩乐的体验,也在于接触五花八门的人和经历繁琐复杂的事后,对社会和生活多了深一层的认知和体会。因为这些人和事,在平日千遍一律的生活里,是很难在短期内汇集在一起的。而这些体会,对即将要踩进江湖的我们,更是难能可贵的。

话说回来,虽然同样是游记,同样是四个人,但古今毕竟不同,角色如不雷同纯属不巧。

In the classical Chinese literature "Journey to the West", there were these 4 guys embarking on a long and dangerous journey in search of Buddhist sutras. At present times, there were another 4 friends traveling to Cambodia and Vietnam after graduation for fun and exposure. They weren't given the task of finding any text, but along the way, they had learnt that there's another objective. Through various events and interactions with all walks of life, they had gained more insights about society and life. These experiences are unlikely to be obtained through monotonous daily life, and hence are precious, especially to us that are going to enter society soon.

Both journeys were joined by 4 journeymates, but seperated by few centuries, and hence there are bound to be differences in the roles played by members. It will be a miracle if things can be matched so well.

现代版师父:则瀚
高瘦白净、沾酒出瘼、不忍杀价、舍钱喂商的绝种好人。生来既有使命,为了找寻不惜攀山涉水,终于在越南找到与名字相对应的Chon 8。(注:Chon 8 是一种越南咖啡品种)

Modern Monk : Chak Hon
Tall, slim and fair, he's such holy that he seldom drinks due to allergy and bargains for a better price, not for himself, but for seller. He was borned with a mission, and is willing to take on challenges to search for it. In Vietnam, he found the ultimate Chon 8, which was perhaps named after him. (Note: Chon 8 is a type of Vietnamese coffee bean)



现代版马骝:俊霖
皮黑发卷、顽皮活泼、爱玩易累、悟性极高、擅长七十二变,变成当地人易如反掌。

Modern Monkey : Choon Lim
With dark complexion and curly hair, he's extremely active and naughty, though he becomes tired easily. As a quick learner and master of transformation, he can easily disguise as a local everywhere.



现代版八戒:智泉
腰粗股大、有肉又油、时有疏忽、自认帅气、善于搭讪,但却从不偷懒、负责体贴。

Modern Pig : Ah Bee (Chee Chuan)
Round and plum, muscular yet fatty; he's slightly absent-minded. He will never feel shy to show his handsomeness and to "flirt". Ironically, he's determined, responsible and caring as opposed to what you might think of him.




现代版沙僧:钊专
眼细朦胧、喝多睡多、好吃懒做、性格随和、善于被“搭讪”、却最具有冒险精神,给予的意见最中肯。

Modern Sandy : Eddie (Chow Chuan)
With small eyes, he always look like he's not having enough sleep. In fact, he sleep, eat and drink the most and avoid to commit. But he has great temper and adventurous spirit and always give objective comments. Perhaps that's the reason why he's popular to be "flirted" by ... ^^

夜半迷思

突如其来的生病,打乱了生活的规律。好不容易恢复了,却又少了奋斗的目标。工作,还有一段日子;投资,想先妥善理财;知识,不懂的无限多;娱乐,从来不是必要;朋友,更是一个接一个开工,而自己却在挥霍着时间,确实不是滋味。找房、搬家、上班这一些都距离我好远,大半年后当朋友都已安定了,我才要面对这些问题,教我如何不愁?诚然理智定能解决这些问题,但有时候理智不是一切。能去美国见识固然是好事,却也并非全无隐忧。虽然我讨厌被安排命运,但对于未知,却总有种莫名的恐惧。

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Cam-Viet Tour 柬越游记

(Newly updated: 02-07-2008)

人一生能有几次长达十八天的背包旅行?对工作假期多得是的西方人来说,这问题是不可思议的,但对我们而言,能有几次已经很满足了。我很有幸能在毕业之后和三位志同道合的朋友去柬越玩了十八天,这一段旅程必将成为我们以后美好的回忆,但回忆若没有被整理、重塑和升华,就只会是凌乱的碎片。

How many times can you afford to spend 18 days for backpacking? This question to westerners whom have long working holidays seems redundant, but for most of us, to have few times of it will be satisfactory. I am glad that I had experienced once at least as my graduation trip with three other friends of similar interests. That will stay in our memory forever, but memory will be meaningless without organizing and reshaping.

我想将所见所闻所感所想写成一篇游记,不仅仅是像流水账这样的记录,而是希望和大家分享经验,通过我们的眼睛看到我们所看到的,通过我们的感觉感受到我们感受到的,通过我们的喜怒哀乐去想象和体验,仿佛如亲身经历一般。我也想以此测试我的双语写作能力,但知易行难,语言功力有限,希望辞能达意。

I am not satisfied just to record things plainly but I want to put down what I've seen and felt nicely in a comprehensive journey, to share with friends our experiences, to see through our eyes what we've seen, to feel what we've felt, to imagine and experience as if it was their journey. This will also test my ability in writing bilingually and I hope I do it clearly.

也因此,要完成这事需要一段很长的时间,或许是一两个月,也或许是更长。以下的每一项题目都将是一篇独立的文章,等我写好了我就会链接起来。没耐心的朋友,可要吃亏了哦。哈哈。

And hence, it may take quite a while for me to finish this, maybe one to two months or even longer. When I finish each separate article, I will link it with this post. So please be patient and stay tuned ya, my friends. ^^

序言| Prologue (Updated: 27-06-2008)
水鱼记 | Unfortunate rip-offs
寻食记 | Foreign delights
求物记 | Art of Bargaining
冒险记 | Adventurous acts
摄影记 | Travel Photography (Updated: 02-07-2008)
人物记 | Peoples

第一天:初识高棉—风雨无情历史满泪
Day 1: Khmer - A place of unpredictable weather and history contrast

第二天:探访庙窟—四辆铁马四处骑访
Day 2 : Wats - Visiting by cycling

第三天:再见吴哥—正邪交汇爱恨交织
Day 3 : Angkor - The good and the bad

第四天:抵步金边—璀璨已逝动荡重建
Day 4 : Phnom Penh - Former oriental Paris in quick reconstruction

第五天:寻找历史—悲剧重现意外横生
Day 5: History - When terrifying genocide meets enduring accident

第六天:人在西贡—越龙躁动人车齐飞
Day 6: Saigon - In the mantra of rapid development

第七天:地道古芝—战争教育完美旅历
Day 7: Cuchi - The perfect enlightening and informative tour

第八天:悔去湄公—跟团吃买游船看无
Day 8: Mekong - The buying and boring tour

第九天:如是水市—屋漏船迟机坏钱失
Day 9: Water market - Disappointment and disheartenment

第十天:再寻历史—正义邪恶殊有定论
Day 10: History - The same old division of good or evil

十一天:暂歇会安—古色古香购物天堂
Day 11: Hoi An - A short rest in a relaxing old town

十二天:沿岸北上—海天山岛古都香江
Day 12: Traveling north - Magnificent coastline and scenery

十三天:速游顺化—迷你中华惟独凯定
Day 13: Hue - It's so Chinese except Khai Dinh Tomb

十四天:上越下龙—海上桂林船上天堂
Day 14: Ha Long - The Perfect Paradise

十五天:闲逛吉婆—真假猴子时间炸弹
Day 15: Cat Ba - All about monkeys

十六天:终站河内—人流繁杂水偶惊叹
Day 16: Hanoi - Modern people and ancient arts

十七天:迷失古区—天气酷热欲走无力
Day 17: Old quarters - We're beaten by the hot weather

十八天:再见柬越—提早离去后话再续
Day 18: Goodbye Cam-Viet

高棉寺庙 | Khmer Wats

柬埔寨的高棉寺庙有什么好看?就是去看精美的Bas-relief咯。这样说不但可以秀你的知识,还可以秀你的法文。要在墙壁上雕塑只用两种方法,一就是让图案凸出来,即为浮雕(Relief);二就是让图案凹进去,即为阴雕或凹雕(Intaglio)。浮雕还可以再分为低浮雕(Bas-relief)和高浮雕(Alto-relievo)。好了,现在是时候欣赏古代高棉建筑艺术了。

What's so interesting about Cambodian Khmer Wats? Well, it's about master piece of Bas-relief. Answering like that can definitely show your knowledge. LOL. There are only two ways to make wall sculpture, either by carving it convexly or concavely. The former one is known as "relief", which means carving in relief; and the latter one is known as "intaglio", which means incised carving. Relief can be further classified into low-relief (Bas-relief) and high-relief (Alto-relievo). With this quick piece of knowledge, it's time to appreciate the ancient Khmer architecture.

在过去那段长达六百年的辉煌时期,高棉民族建造了多不胜数的寺庙,其中闻名遐迩的就是吴哥窟,以致于其他的寺庙都被统称为“吴哥窟群”。在暹粒省的三天里,我们参观了大约十间寺庙,很坦白说在参观了五六间后大家都看得有点意兴阑珊,仿佛当晚一旦发噩梦最恐怖的莫过于反复被人载去看寺庙。但有审美疲劳不代表审的不是美,所以在这里我还是尝试描绘出每间寺庙的特色吧。

During that glorious period that lasted for about 600 years, the peoples of Khmer had constructed numerous Wats. Among them, Angkor Wat is the most prominent one to the extent that the whole area is called "Angkor National Park". In the three days at Siam Reap, we had visited about ten Wats, and were feeling the diminishing return after visiting 5 to 6 Wats, as if the worst possible nightmare we could have that night was to visit Wat and Wat and Wat and ... Anyway, I will try to outline their unique beauties here.

Oriented to the east.
Flat vs "temple-pyramid"


Angkor Wat "City Temple"
Preah Khan "Sacred Sword"
Neak Pean "The Entwined Serpents"
Bayon - Multitude of serene and massive stone faces, "face towers"
Pre Rup -
Ta Prohm - "Ancestor Brahma"
Ta Som -

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

JP's Ichiban Sushi

On the next day, I moved few packs of my stuffs to Kok Ern's house, with Krix's help. We had our brunch at JP's Ichiban Sushi and well.... it's DAMN NICE and well worth the price. No wonder there's always a terrifying queue during peak hours.

tori maru cheese set (Best one! How lucky was Krix)

sushi mgoriawase (Jap pro Kok ern was quite satisfied with the sushi's quality)

suruga unagi yanagawa (Tasted good, but portion was a bit small)

And the unique thing? The green tea cup. I was trying to link every fish "Kanji" to the picture, but there were 9 "Kanji" and only 7 pictures. Cheating!

Hawaii BBQ Buffet

This time we had another gathering near Turf City, to celebrate the end of our student life. Ah bee brought us to enjoy Hawaii BBQ. ALOHA!



So what's special there? I think the pineapple drink was quite fine.

It's the drink that's special, not the head. :)

Other than this, hotdog BBQ and tomato-sauce chicken were nice. But opinions are divided on whether does this buffet worth its price. The famous people this round couldn't be other people but the ultimate careless child : Luke, whom successfully splashed few glasses of juices onto others. He's not used to be that, there's a hidden objective. ^_^

Clementi Sakura Buffet

It has been long time since I arrange my photos. Now that I have a bit of free time, I will update food gatherings that are ""outdated" ". The first one dates back to 26th February, at Clementi Sakura.


13 guys (oops, I forget ah lian's a gal... and I know some of us will start to bemoan sth @.@) which included Kok Ern who's already working, Yip Kuan and Chin Chong went for one mission. (You must have know the reason I mention about them, because their presence made that gathering more precious ^_^)


Among us, the more prominent peoples are:

God of Acting - Wan Tan

Cupid - Kok Ern

Ultraman - Chak Hon

LC Couple (LC stands for ... Hmm...) - Ting & Lian

Man in White and Man in Black - Ah Bee & Me

Well, it's time to back to the main topic: the FOOD! On top of our favourites are:

Baked Oyster


Durian Puff

Fry Dory

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Friends and communications

There are two types of people in term of ways of keeping friends, tie inside a circle or tie across circles. For the former type, they believe that few soul mates are enough to support them, at good times or at bad times, and hence reduce efforts in making new friends; for the latter type, they prefer to know as many peoples as they can, and hence often reduce efforts in developing deeper rapport with friends. A mix of these two types, could be anything. So are you the former type or the latter type, or a mix of both? It certainly needs efforts to keep a friendship and hence your choice reflects your need. I think I belongs to the mix type but I've no idea to what extent.

There are also two ways of communicating, one-to-one or one-to-all. Some people are good in heart talk, some people are good to lead the talk and some people excel in both. Often, people that are good in one-to-all communication get most of the attention and leaves the most impressive impression to others. But this impression will burst into devastation if they are not good in one-to-one communication, failing to establish close rapport. I think I am good in neither ways as sometimes I am insensitive to friends' feeling and lack genuine care. Hope I can improve it continuously.

But sometimes I feel that, everyone has his/her own way in building rapport with friends, and it's good to learn from everyone. For example, BK may not excel in one-to-all communication but sometimes he surprised me with his sheer sensitivity and empathy, by asking me question that struck my hidden chord. How brilliant!

It's a long long way to go... let's keep walking together, my dear friends~

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SoSuechtig, Burajiru