Muse's Heaven

Feb 23

2012-02-22T19:37:00.000-08:00

My pace of life has been broken after i relocated back. I simply only read 1-2 pages of the book and have no time to think. All kinds of information swarms to me and i just realized that i miss the simplicity of my life in Singapore. I chose to receive information rather than bombarded with information which is always not necessary/useful to me.

The system of learning and living briliantly in Shanghai hasn't been built up and i need to quicken my steps to make it happen. if you spent 2 hrs for transportation rather than 1 hr, then you need to squeeze that 1 hr everyday from elsewhere. otherwise, the quality of life will be poorer and pooer, and this is defnitely not something i want to see.

ZM approached me for the process design of category plan and i am very happy to receive this kind of request as it's a great project to start and i will definitely learn a lot through the whole process. (thanks ZM)

I probably still need 1 more week to settle down and calm down. But after 1 week, there's no excuse for me to live a less effective and efficient life. :) My plan, my objective, the reason why i request to go back, i should never forget.

Braveheart, be strong and move on as quick as possible.

Feb 18th

2012-02-17T08:15:00.000-08:00

Feel very blessed that i will be missed by those who i cherish here.
Thanks so much for all the wishes and hugs. I will definitely miss you all.

very grateful for those i care and those care for me.

Feb 9th

2012-02-09T07:53:00.000-08:00

Was a bit tired these days because I need to finish all the projects (on-going) before i leave for Shanghai and meanwhile still need to practice all Judy told me in demand planning.

Also the visit of our Geneva Boss also consumed me huge amount of time, which may not necessarily need to spend and is useless to me. but anyway, i am still under him, so need to obey . but like what Yosi said, probably he's not the type you want to work for.

I had a dinner in Yosi tonight. I need to say goodbye to her personally as she's the person who brought me to Singapore and gave me the challenge here. I might not have done a super wonderful job according to her standard, but she definitely gave me the chance to expose to the world and become more mature. Thanks Yosi for all the effort you do for a person like me. Like i told J on the bus. Yosi is the one and the only one i think it's an honor to be her friend. We had a general talk and i controlled myself not telling her too much about RIKL as to me, he's a past and i am over it. And i can feel that Yosi is more concerned about my future, how i plan my future business. When i mentioned contribution part, the small little thing i want to do for poor students in rural china. She also mentioned the case of her girl friend, a the financial counselor for a foundation, looking for those who need help and provide them the help. The most impressed case she encountered are the trekking trip she brought with 6 low-esteem children on a weekend. these are children either come from poor family or have misfortune in their lives. This weekend trekking trip is to help the open their heart and communicate with others. To her, the result is fantastic and what's most important to her is the contribution from her side. It's not about money or material anymore, but the full-hearted genuine care she provided to these children and the return is fantastic. For most of the time, people have money to donate and they keep a distance from these needed/only do it on a leisure base. But real contribution is about open your heart and really take time to get closer to them and warm them. And the achievement is beyond word. A great point to make by Yosi as always.

I am really grateful for having Yosi in my life as a mentor and we agreed with each other to meet somewhere to celebrate our success in 5-10 years time. I think this will come true as long as all of us make an effort.

She said to me take a sabbath after 1 year, unpaid leave for 3 months. i asked her, can i ? she said, should not but you can ask. i was a bit confused and thought this is a bit too daring. But look back, probably 1-2 years later, i can do this and i will be happy that i ask. You never know. Keep this in my mind and to me, my mind is not in Shanghai anymore so far. I am dreaming about other places to travel or live. let me think about it as there are many possibilities in my life and i am mature to take it. Just like what i put for myself, at this age, i feel that i can do anything i like. It's a golden age.

And one thing she told me that don't mess with those you don't like and trying to be part of the gang. it's contagious and it's really easy to fall into that trap. I will really focus on myself and won't be like that. but this need a lot of confidence and self concentration. :) i hope i can get it. But if i disappoint myself, i will try to get out for sure. My friends, i really your help to pull me and alert me on the way.

it's a bit late. I need to sleep first.
-----
The other thing Yosi mentioned to me is to stretch my friends' circle. As it's very difficult to keep the same pace and quality information as in Singapore, thus i need to create a great circle to keep me always posted. It's not easy, but 2 years experience and willingness to go out of my circle will make sure i can achieve it.

Talking to wise people like Yosi always makes me feel recharged and what she told me resonate in my mind for a long time. The way she challenged me and the massive amount of information she provided me always makes me feel so good. I am very lucky i should say.

Feb 4th

2012-02-04T06:42:00.000-08:00

Finished my Sri Lanka Trip and it turned out to be very nice. I enjoyed the little details of this trip and learnt a lot along the way.

Here i am back, sitting on my sofa and facing myself.
Focus on my life and move on, Braveheart!

Sri Lanka, day 10

2012-02-01T06:31:00.000-08:00

What do you expect more from life?
Sitting in the balcony, listening to the waves, cool breeze, total tranquility.
No more music, no more talk. Let me just sit for a while and enjoy the precious silence in my life.

Things I need to achieve are no more important to me anymore tonight.
Let the genuine happiness and love rest here in this land.

This year, perhaps we will get married. This thought popped up several times these days.
Am I prepared for the lifelong promise?
Will I resist all the temptation and only focus on you?
Will we be able to hold hands till the death of our lives?
Too many questions in my mind.
I just need it to be 100% sure so that I can tell u one day.

In 18 days, I will go back to my hometown. Is it what I truly want?
I don't know. Perhaps the answer will unveil itself when I land.

Don't know what to write. Stop here.

2nd Week in 2012

2012-01-14T02:11:00.000-08:00

Time passed quickly, 13 days passed quickly unawared of.
I started learning new things with Judy, the feeling is great. I received a call from Miranti on Friday, both of us are very excited about our future, it will be a wonderful journey with lots of things unknown along the path, but we are no longer afraid of the difficulties and obstacles. It's the feeling inside, we are determined to pave our way towards success and it's the feeling nobody can feel as strongly as we have.

The feeling of learning new things is wonderful and i am glad that i made this decision.

I went to the SGtravelcafe meetup last night and i really enjoyed the new world ahead of me. Argentina, Chilli and antarctic, all of them once are so faraway from me, now seems possible to me. As long as I made my plan and made my mind, everything is possible now. This is the golden age, we all know that, as long as we want to do, things can be conquered and dreams can become true.

I attended "One Year in Timor" exhibition on Thursday night, Alan shared his volunteer work in Timor Leste. One point interests me is "every volunteer comes with a reason, most of the times, it's very personal, not as noble as the others think". he mentioned that at that time, he just wanted to leave Singapore for a while, thus he made this decision to stay in Timor for one year. I don't know what happened to his life, but i can feel that he's really frank and humble regarding this volunteer work. The blackouts 4-5 times a week made him very devastated but he said that people are easier to adjust like than they expected. I think volunteer work is all about personal choice, whether you enjoy it in the end, it's always a memorable experience, something etched in your heart. I'd rather have something to think back in my life. :)

My guitar school closed down and i told my teacher Meida that i will be back, thus i won't be able to continue my lesson. However, before i go, i want to treat her a dinner so that i can learn more from her in terms of future exercise. She doesn't say too much during our lesson and is a bit timid as a teacher. :)

Tonight, i will go to Tsai Jing Teng's concert with Cat. I am very lucky to get this ticket and i hope i will enjoy it.

Tomorrow, i am thinking whether to finish a book at home or go to Singapore Zoo. :) both are the things i need to accomplish before i leave. Let me think about it first.

am planning to spend my CNY in Yogyakarta, visiting the temples in possible. I am excited... though it could be a bit tired for me. but i can sleep on the plane for sure. :)

Of mice and men

2012-01-08T04:37:00.000-08:00

I still can't understand the ending of this short story. Why George killed Lennie by himself in the end? Why they didn't even try to escape this time? Did he mean to protect Lennie, helping him die in his most comfortable way and without being humiliated by others or he just wanted to get rid of this burden?

I am confused. ... most of the review also touches "loneliness", which is the mood owned by many characters inside the book and is the root cause for this tragedy. And the dreams that these poor labors have, of the land. While like most of the cases mentioned in the books, the dream of having their own land is a bubble and exactly in the book, these three person's dream is not fulfilled.

A good book to read and a book you need to take a while to think further.

Excerpt from The Reader

2012-01-07T01:13:00.000-08:00

She stayed behind, the way a city stays behind as a train pulls out of the station.

At the end of the book, i started to cry. He didn't need to do a lot but just care a bit more about Hanna and behaved less cowardly, then a life can be saved.

Why he's so selfish to face the past with Hanna, why people criticized others so strongly without thiniking about what the defendants went through that time? I think this man is a coward.... with his ego and he will live rest of his life with regret.

Hanna, is a strong woman, even thought innocent. She knows what she's doing and she's working her best to protect her ego. It's her choice! Others may say that she's stupid as what she confessed during the trial made her stay in the cell for 18 years. But don't be judgmental. Everyone has their own belief and principle, their ways of lives. As long as she finds content with her decision and bears all the responsibility of it, she's a great woman and a woman worthing adoring.

That's a sad book. But the book is as good as the movie. i should say.

Coward is the word echoed continuously after i finished the book. :(

Jan 7th 2012

2012-01-06T08:54:00.000-08:00

New year comes silently and I passed my new year in Vietnam. Vietnam is not as good as expected but we always get things on the road. Especially for me, i learnt a lot when i am travelling. always the case. I believe this one bring to me more familiar with the Vietnamese food, which i might use it in the future for my restaurant business. The second one is the contribute. The days i spent in sapa areas visiting these Vietnamese minorities and the days i visited the fishing villages in Siem Reap are the moment i realized that a small amount of money may bring huge change to these people. The micro funds and NGO came to me again. How to help these people and give them a sustained growth in life is something i am thinking about. There are thousands of poor families in China and they need education and basic materials for daily life. How to help them will be one of my wish list item to achieve in 2012.

Thirdly, I am very happy that i made the movement back to China. I am one step closer to my goal and i need to make sure all the sacrifice are worth.

Fourthly, speaking of contribution, it reminds of my father. He's really hardworking and sacrificed a lot for the whole family. He's getting old and when i am back, i would like to bring him for a health check, making sure there's no big problem in his body and then bring him for a trip. Let him enjoy life better and with me. with the sincere care from my side. I plan to visit my grand parents more because you never know when is your last time to see them. I always feel that i have a special connection with my wai po and wai gong. I don't want them to leave me with regrets here.

5th, i need to read a lot. the first book i finished in 2012 is the book "Sri lanka" guide book, where i will go with J for a ~10 days trip. I hope I can make it and travel happily with her, prove our friendship can face all the challenges. :) The second book i finished is "the book of tomorrow", written by Cecelian Ahern. The start and ending is really great, in the middle, it's a bit retard and slow. But overal speaking, it's nice and it tells the story with meanings. Book is the favoriate of the author that why she made the story based on this object. Future telling is reflected in the dairy but we human being in the end, when we have power and confidence, we don't rely on what is told but is more rely on what we want to do. Sacrifice and real great love is also mentioned in the book when tamara's real father chose to stay in the shadow to give a better life for his daughter and wife. Good.. ... i am also trying to finish 2 books every week so that by the time i leave i can finish 10 or 12 books. Hope so.. don't know whether i can make it or not.

6th, i am learning new things... great...

7th, i want to have more exercise (swimming or jogging) but more frequently and more for my health. :) thank god i have a good attitude towards life.

New Year Resolution - DL Dec 2011

2011-12-20T04:41:00.000-08:00

Just came back from 10 days' trip of Macau and Hongkong, in the end, it's a happy ending. God Blessed Us.. here comes the new year resolution for 2011.

1. Get slimmer and get healthy.
2. My 24 Projects - get prepared for my new start
3. Learn to cook SEA food
4. Deep understanding of beverage
5. Travel ( Turkey, France, Cambodia) --first two done... and well done..
6. Keep learning piano and listening to classical music, grasp 10 songs from my book
7. Pay back all the money borrowed and save for the future start
-----------
Apparently, many of the above mentioned terms are not fulfilled in 2011. So let me list down those i achieved.

[ Travel out of Singapore ]: successfully made the trips in Seoul (Feb), Turkey (Apr), Saba (May), France (July), Mount Bromo (Sept), Siem Reap (Nov), Vietnam(Dec). 2011 is really an adventurous year for me as i tried my best to make the most use of my days to travel and i am really proud of that. And cambodia is my 3rd solo trip and i made it without any difficulty.

[ Hiking & Photographing within/around Singapore ]:
Photo trip in Malacca (March)
Trekking in Mac Ritchie Reservoir,
Trekking in Sungei Buloh Nature Reserve (twice)
Photo Trip in Tiong Bahru (April)
Photo Trip in Ang Siang Hill (Sept)
Monument Guided Tour ( Nov, Armenian Church, Raffles Hotel)
Photo Trip in JB (Aug)
night festival -photography at night (together with a photography lecture in SAM)
BBQ at East Coast Park (Aug)
Family Family Day @ Paula Ubin
Batam Trip organized by Playworks
Board game @ settlers - tried 5 new board games

Cashflow Game in Singapore (twice)

[ Concert & Performance & Exhibition ]
under the star (in sentosa)
the Cranberries
Kit Chan
Tanya's concert
Lion King
Faye Wong
Indian Festival (Chandalika by Mythili Prakash, Flute performance, sing and violin)
James Blunt
Dream and reality: impressionism painting
Happy Prince

一眼思泪

唱戏

Beijing Cross-Talk during Autumn Festival

[ Books ]:
Finished reading:
10 in total: The New Korea, 1984, 不分东西, The Brand Stretch - D. Taylor, Outliers,

Brand Failure, Blink, Vietnam, Harvard business review about selling and sales force, Into the Wild

Started but not finished yet: 4 books in total: Burmese days, The Story of Art, what the dog saw,

In the shadow of the Buddha

[Movies & Musics]

too many.. haha

[ Lectures & Learnings ]:Curator's lecture of Signature Art Prize 2011 @ Singapore Art Museum （the 2nd and 3rd time)
Curator's tour of two exhibitions

Spice Potpourri - New book launch & introduction

陈加昌《越南，我在现场》新书发布会

Spirit of Travel
Impressionist painting - a series of lectures in Singapore National Museum
NES Ignite 2011, sharing session by three business owner @NUS Utown

Uzbekistan photo tour organized by PSS

Contemporary Art Lecture in SAM

At last, I changed my guitar style to classical guitar. Learnt guitar for half-year and learnt Piano for half-year.

Dec 20th 2011

2011-12-20T03:49:00.000-08:00

Today I went to TTS hospital for a medical checkup. Doctor assured me that there shouldn't be any serious sickness to me. If there's something, it should be functional disorder. So now I am totally relieved.

I think health scare really brought me to think the most important things in my life. I am happy that I aware this before my 30th birthday. I am always a positive person. All the worries are understandable if anyone lost his/her parent during a young age and witnessed the whole process of my beloved passing away in 8 years time. The moment i got my report in KK hospital, I told myself that i need to carry out the things I want to achieve and i can no longer ignore them and live a seeming happy life yet not meaningful one.

So i will make a bucket list as what Ling and Ethan did and tick them one by one. That's a nice job before the start of new year 2012 and i am sure that i will make myself clear of what i want before the list is completed. :)

Thanks god for caress me and protecting me as always and i will definitely cherish the help and spread the same to those needed.

Dec 11th 2011

2011-12-11T06:38:00.000-08:00

Had a talk with B and i think i am really clear with what i want and i also realized that i should provide more care. Memorized in mind for the time being and carry out action is the next step.

Hope my health is okay. I wish it's not something too serious, but it is, i have no way to bear with it and carry on. Anyway, i am clear with what i want from life these days and i am prepared for any challenges.

Into the wild is such a great book and i believe it will only take me less than 2 days to finish, probably only 1 day, within tonight.

After the health check, i will carry on the plans and make numerous decisions accordingly. God bless me.

4 days in Siem Reap (1)

2011-12-05T20:40:00.001-08:00

This is my 3rd "individual" trip and it proves to be a good trip still, as always. Thanks a lot for the opportunity to do biz trip in Bangkok, making me decisively coming to this wonderful land. My first individual trip in Xiamen, also planned after a biz trip to Puyen/lafang. 2nd one is in Barcelona, the most awesome trip i've ever had in my life, thanks to the travel mate i met in the hostel and thanks to Gaudi's fantastic architecture.

In Siem Reap, you won't be surprised to encounter these "1 dollar"thing. Everything is measured by dollars and i think the globalization and over-exposure to foreign culture really damages the authentic local culture. "1 dollar" is a vague concept to children at young age and i really doubt them understanding the importance of money. However, if most of the children are brought up under this culture, then the influence will be much more profound than what we thought it should be. however, children and children, they are pure from the heart. I was moved by a small kid one night. Living in Singapore for two years with all the regulation around, i am not used to the way of street crossing in Siem Reap. too many motocycles and tuk tuk made me not knowing how to cross the street. But just at that time, a small kid, about 5-6 years old, held my hands and helped me cross the road. i was expecting him to charge me "1 dollar"after that, but all he said is bye bye with a big smile. i smiled back and was ashamed of my thought. that made my night a wonderful night.

public hygiene in siem reap is not very good. tap water tastes a bit weird and there are flies everywhere around the street food stall. However, with a chinese stomach, you can still easily survive without getting diarrhea. my tuk tuk driver Sombo is a nice man, speak average-leveled English. But if you consider that he only learned spoken english for 1 year, this was already way too good. 29 years old, he was a monk for 3-4 years in a pagoda nearby. he mentioned that being a monk is too tough, he chose it because he doesn't want to study at school and his family also wants him to be a monk. he said that being a monk, you need to get up at 4 oçlock everyday to pray and there are only two meals a day, meaning no dinner. he learnt japanese and english during his stay as a monk, which is very impressive to me. but when i asked him, what do you want to be in the future? he said, probably i will repair motorcycle in the near future as the business for tuk tuk driver is too hard nowadays with fierce competition. i asked him, why not learn to be a tour guide? He shakes his head and smiled back. ( he's a person who needs freedom and doesn't want to stress himself for money. that's good and that's bad.haha)

Life List Chase

2011-11-12T23:02:00.001-08:00

went to the lecture organized by Ling and Ethan. very interesting topics about wild life photography and travel. Their efforts to drive good cause thing such as protecting orangutan orphan is impressive. the business model of their work, life list chase, photography exhibition, commercial website and trips can all be used in the future business development. This is not easy, but i saw passion in what they are doing now and a business model can help them successful. How about my business? How to make money and satisfy my own interest at the same time?

http://lifelistchase.com/talks-exhibitions/

回望我的青春

2011-11-01T05:50:00.001-07:00

我是多么的单纯，做过多少的傻事。现在，有最好的放在我面前，我却不够珍惜。
傻啊，我。。。。

Jeff Bezos: What matters more than your talents | Video on TED.com

2011-10-29T03:49:00.000-07:00

Jeff Bezos: What matters more than your talents | Video on TED.com

Oct 29th Ignite 2011 @ NUS UTown

2011-10-29T02:59:00.000-07:00

After Meeting Yosi, I think i have better understanding of what i want and what really matters now is when and how.

Went to the Ignite workshop organized by NES this morning and three guest speakers are invited to deliver their success stories. Three businessmen in the room, Director&Co-founder of Frolick, Co-Founder of Timbre and an green passionist from KL. What i learn about these three speeches are the following

1. marketing/design makes a huge difference in the business. (don't trust the old saying/mindset such as business is about making money, don't waste your money before you get started. Branding is no longer a plus in today's business and we all need to recognize its importance in this ever competitive market.)
2. Find a good partner. (Before you define "good" here regarding partner, the first thing you need to do is to understand yourself, for example, what I am able to contribute in this business and what's my strength in this business. By understanding the role and place i stand in this business, find the team who is complimentary. If you are the person who is good at the front, find a backstage person. If you are good at planning, find someone brilliant to promote at the front. Simple like that.
3. Social Entrepreneur. How to do good business and also at the same time address social needs. Every business starts with a need and if the business can well cater the needs and play a positive influence in your society. This is manifested in the case of Timbre. Timbre provides a platform to bring the singapore talent singer and live stage players out and encourage the music sharing. The purpose of Timbre's existence is very meaningful to me. what strikes me is that probably in Shanghai, my hometown, there also could be a need for Timbre, a place people can enjoy good music and a place talent players can shine on the stage. I saw this in Beijing, our capital for culture, but not in Shanghai, where everything is commercial.
4. Non-profit and Commercial. sometimes, you have a good heart to start your dream and to promote Musics, and the easiest thing to do is to have a non-profit organization. however the business model restricts you from playing the strongest impact, thus a commercial model should be established to better reach your dream.
5. Believe yourself... take risks.. do as early as possible. because you have less opportunity cost when you are young.
6. Eco-system of your business... the great thing i learn from Timbre is that it slows expands its business to diversified areas, however, not deviating from its core value "music & live experience". It extends to big scale music festival/events, catering business (Studio M Hotel), Music Academy and all these stretches are reasonable stretches and brings more diversity to this brand. Moreover, reduces its risk as being a F&B business only. The eco-system is very very interesting and i believe if i can successfully open my first business, I will also personally use this eco-system to bring out more cash and balance the risks.
7. Promotion. Promotion in the newspaper, in overseas magazines.. this is also important... probably, they forgot to mention online promotion... :)

That's more or less the things i learnt this morning. i didn't think of that much after i left NUS utown.. but wow~~ i did learn something and i am very glad....keep an eye on this area and absorb as much as i should before i make my first step.

2011-10-23T07:00:00.001-07:00

1. Aida Makoto (Japan)

Ash Color Mountain

Misty, tranquil at first glance, but if focus n the details, you can see human disaster on a large scale.

Do you often wear a business suit?

No, I rarely wear it as an artist. I wanted to draw it instead of wearing it. I sometimes imagine that almost all of my schoolmates work in business suits and I have complex feelings about it. For subjects of my paintings I tend to pick the ones that come from those conflicting ideas and feelings. This is my policy. Because of my complex feelings about business attire, I thought I should draw business suits.

At first glance, Ash Color Mountains looks like a traditional ink painting. Why did you use this format?

I often use traditional motifs in my paintings. I use the traditional genre style and images of a Japanese landscape here as a reference to Zen spirit. Also, I’m not sure if this is historically correct, but I think Japanese painting, including some of my favorite artists as Sesshū’s (1420-1506) and Hasegawa Tōhaku’s (1539-1610), has been influenced by the Zen aesthetics of negative-ness. In their paintings, I always read fatalism, a positive spirit which is able to affirm negative things. This is very different from the Chinese landscape ink painting, from which Japanese style originated. Writer Seigou Matsuoka expresses a similar idea in his book Sansui Thought – The Imaginative Power of Negative-ness.

Applying this logic to interpreting news from Japan today, when I was watching a TV interview with people who had lost their families during the Tohoku Earthquake, I felt they expressed a very Japanese spirit. They lowered their eyes in embarrassment, spoke in soft voices and with a little smile on their faces – no one cried to the heavens. I appreciated their patience and strength followed by the silent acceptance of this unfortunate situation.

As you see, Japanese fatalistic spirit can be found in various moments, which often surfaces in my work. Traditional natural landscape paintings might not have a direct reference to that acceptance of fate, but I believe that they are connected at some deep level.

Makoto Aida was one of Japan's enfant terribles, along with Murakami and Yoshitomo Nara, that took the international art scene by storm in the 1990s. These artists had grown up after the war, while the process of rebuilding Japan was in full swing. They experienced the rapid ascent of the Japanese economy during the heady 1980s, and came of age surrounded by pop culture. They drew inspiration from this--using the language of manga and anime to convey their message.

Aida is iconoclastic and uncompromising, his work varied and provocative. His themes include sexuality, war, and national identity. And he strives the make the viewer uncomfortable: Whether it be videoing himself masturbating in front of a large banner that reads "beautiful little girl," dressing up as Osama bin Laden for a Saturday Night Live-esque video project, or painting the firebombing of New York by Japanese airplanes.

During the late nineties, as gal culture was running rampant, Aida became intrigued. "I think those kogals in the 1990s were originals," he says. "Historically and even globally, they were unique, and I sought a way to portray them." Inspiration came from a group of high school girls squatting on the ground in Shibuya. "The scene reminded me of besieged warriors who have decided to commit mass suicide." Out of this, Aida created Harakiri School Girls, originally as a poster to advertise his first solo exhibit in 1999, and later as a painting for the Singapore Biennale 2006.

Laced with dark humor, the work shows a group of uniform-clad schoolgirls plunging samurai swords into their stomachs, disemboweling themselves, and slicing off their own heads. The flash of a blade creates a rainbow in the blood spurting from a girl's neck. A stream of blood flows past a curious kitten, karaoke flyers, and discarded tissues, into a drain. The work is gruesomely cute. "Harakiri School Girls is an allegory for the distorted mentality of Japanese youth at the time and the atmosphere of Japanese society," Aida explains. "After the Bubble Economy collapsed, I felt that an air of pessimism was spreading through Japan like a virus." Everything might have looked cute and happy, but underneath that veneer seethed dejection and darkness. During the nineties, the number of suicides increased year by year, and according to Aida, Japanese patriotism withered away. These schoolgirls, in their loose socks and school uniforms, symbolize the entire country, killing itself.

Harikiri School Girls 1999

The traditional Japanese always keep things inside to be polite and the Japanese woman/ladies are always presented as cute /kawaii" However, under the cover, the real japanese are not very cute or happy, there's a sense of pessimism.

Makoto Aida, Blender, 2001, canvas, acrylic 290 x 210.5cm. Photos by C.B. Liddell. (a sister work of Ash Color Mountain)

But the Japanese girls are always used a symbol of product for consumption and is always linked with sex.

A bloody truth about Japanese woman

Also the number is very tricky here. When it's 1, we call it accident, when it reaches 10, we call it disaster probably, but when it's thousands or hundreds, it's just a number, the impact is not that strong already. People are numb already.

Reference

http://boingboing.net/2010/09/03/makoto-aidas-schoolg.html

interview:

http://www.nyartbeat.com/nyablog/2011/05/ash-color-mountains-an-interview-with-makoto-aida/

Oct 23rd - Curator's lecture about Signature Art Prize

2011-10-23T04:23:00.000-07:00

Went to the Art Museum last Friday and had a wonderful & extremely informative curator's lecture about 5 pieces among the shortlisted 15 pieces for this year's Signature Art Prize Competition.

The best thing of singapore is that if you want to learn things, there are plenty of things free.

Here comes the 5 art pieces which were introduced during the meeting. Detailed explanation will be updated in my own evernote. :) This can be used as a great piece of sharing in the near future.

Saturday, also went to Sungei Buloh Wetland, joined a free guided tour. I didn't expect the quality of tour that good, during the trip, we got to know about many animal species, birds, trees and plants. The living status of mangroves in Singapore. (will also be updated in my evernote for future usage)

My next trip will be the Bukit Batok Nature Reserve next Wednesday and Old Factory of Ford. Hope it will also bring more surprise to me.

This afternoon, went to watch "One day" with Jess. She's a lovely companion and we have so many things which both of us can share naturally. I quite like the movie itself, the way director explain the story and with not ordinary ending. It scared me at the later part when Emma was hit by a truck on the street. I was so afraid the whole story will end pathetically. However, the director creatively and subtly brought back the sweet and warm part of Emma and Dexter, when both of them first meet each other, the moment that Dexter's father telling his son that we need to hold on and move forward, the moment that Jasmine and Dexter lying on the hill, recalling the beautiful moments once Emma and Dexter shared...

I should say, everything is about timing, love is also.. time tests everything and time makes people realize how important and how true the feeling "love" is in their hearts... And the first kiss is also always important... and it somewhat defines the journey you will have with this particular person.

So... i movie i recommend watching... not about deep and big theory or meanings beneath but a laugh, some daily life stories together with some thinking. btw, the actor is damned sexy..

Oct 16th life is a game.. play it on

2011-10-16T04:27:00.000-07:00

Had a good workout today with meetup group to Macritchie Reservoir. Had an ard 4hrs hiking in the morning. Level is for beginners so doesn't give me too much pressure and as usual, i got to know some more friends, among them, is a Vietnamese girl.. haha, finally got some local to help me further enrich my trip in Vietnam. Cool~~~

Saturday is also a nice experience, hosting Irene and Jess at my home. We bought some Japanese sushi/wrap from cold Storage and had some wine... Irene also brought some potato chips and very delicious cheese to my home. .... a nice and relaxing afternoon at my home... apparently, irene has very good relation with Oreo, while Jess can't work it out.. :) hahah..

at night, we met Nan-hee on Orchard road, has some talk, but probably, the age gap and privacy, we didn't really find some interesting points to connect that deep.. Anyway, she's my friend in South Korea and as a friend, i respect her and always want to care her.

The Friday Kit Chan Concert is so great and i have seldom been to such high quality concert before in my life except Jacky cheung's... was really moved by the beautiful voice and her charm. Will definitely watch her concert/musical if she has in the future.

these days, the relationship between me and boss becomes a bit better. Perhaps we are all good people, just if we refuse to communicate, good things also can become bad things.

The headache is between J and HK... hehe, this is an experience to learn and hope i can figure it out properly.

Weekday Pingpong also brought me much joy from last week and i will continue to work out. I really like sports and it's always better to go out than sticking at home, rotten.

Today

2011-09-12T05:25:00.000-07:00

i think i need to stop myself from thinking for a while. I've been doing nonsense and i really hate myself.
i don't want to become a sentimental person who knows nothing but just feelings. Life is all about joy.. why i am not happy?

i stop thinking because if i continue thinking of it, still no result and no end.
because i am clear of what i want and there's no need to think more.

i will stop doing those nonsense things that i did, but focus on my self and my loved..

calm down, me...

Sarah Kaminsky: My father the forger | Video on TED.com

2011-09-07T08:42:00.000-07:00

Sarah Kaminsky: My father the forger | Video on TED.com

测试

2011-09-03T01:35:00.001-07:00

测试一下，装了新的 sogou输入法，速度是不是更加快了。。。呵呵，测试下来，错误率的确下降了，好！坚持支持它了。。。。

2011年9月3日

2011-09-02T21:55:00.000-07:00

周末的生活安排的比较充实。。。昨天晚上去 SAM的8Q看了场中国的纪录片“牛皮”，蛮缓慢的节奏，以致于中间有那么小会儿，我竟睡去了。哈哈。当然醒来后，发现片子其实还是说了很多事情的，从一下小家庭中的日常作息和生活，看整个社会的变迁，人的思想、人的困境。中间有一阵子也惹起了我一些思乡的情绪，即使是粗茶淡饭，都是美好的，因为那是我生活过的国家，熟悉的语言，我的根在这里，谁也拔不去的。

周六的下午，会去看一个叫 Uzbekistan的摄影旅行分享讲座，呵呵。这时我最最喜欢的讲座类型了，因为每一次的观看，都为我下次的出行做准备。

晚上会去看night festival的一个讲座，然后加上tour和拍照。呵呵，希望能拍些好的照片回来。

明天是华文小剧场的节目，我这个久久没有话剧看的人，希望可以看到精彩的话剧了。

上周的生活其实也是学到不少东西的，等我稍微空下来，再记录吧。

随笔

2011-08-31T07:36:00.000-07:00

很久没有写blog了，实在是很不像话。
最近的生活稍微有一些些的不上进了，也不认真看书，而是光顾着看韩剧。虽然秘密花园i还可以，能够打发时间，但是我始终是一个向上的人，持续的浪费时间让我感到非常的愧疚。

虽然参加了engagement taskforce，讨论了很多问题，但是真正落实到要实现的阶段，却总是很懈怠。自己本来想用这个做一个case study锻炼自己的，不过为啥最近那么懒。哎。不行，这个是我一定要完成的project,我要坚持下去。太好锻炼自己的一个机会了，lead team, manage conflicts and drive results and execution. 要坚持。。。

最近去看了一个叫唱戏的新加坡音乐剧，基本上是把新加坡之前演过的音乐剧做了一个大串烧，比较让人惊讶的是梁文福惊人的作曲才能，以及一个叫 Eric Ng的作曲者，新加坡的新谣派虽然带着些老派（初听），但是功力很好，许多旋律深情款款且耐听。

然后去cinema europa 看了incendis，法文片，讲了很多关于以色列战争的事情，最后一幕1+1=1非常震撼。从一个家庭延展到社会、战争、人性、宗教的问题，总是很能抓住人的眼球的。ai另外i一部是 beginners, 有同性情节，但是说的更多的是如何走出失去父母的悲伤然后勇敢去面对爱情，珍惜它。我很喜欢导演说故事的方式。。：）

也去看了“畅玩星空下”的演唱会，本来因为新加坡小破地方找不到这么小资的人去，而犹豫过，可是去了以后，真的是很值。。。我最爱的是hocc，卢广仲还有徐佳莹。。。太有个性了。新加坡虽然地方小市场小，但是面对这些小资的歌手，却是很让我觉得很核算，因为常常票价便宜，而且便宜票能做到非常好的位子。：）

明天progress review,争取拿满分。哈哈。要努力。

Learning on the road

2011-08-10T07:43:00.000-07:00

I am happy that my best buddy in the company told me that she realized what good opportunity she missed during the past 4 years in the company. But she said that if she's given another chance, she will make the change. I am so happy to hear that because finally she realized that point.

To me, frustration/confliction/messy situation provides opportunity and i personally always take it positively. That's the reason why i get promoted and stood out of the team, being recognized. If all my colleagues are really great and the team is functioning perfectly well, then the room to lead and to play is quite small. :)

Take RIKL as one example, probably, the most important thing i learnt from this case is to "focus on myself", not others. We have many things in our lives, whether it's personal or professional, to distract us. Keep my direction clear and keep my journey closer to my goal are always the two key things i need to bear in mind. No matter what others did, as long as it didn't harm my personal goal, let it go. also, RIKL gives a perfect example of how to lead a team, what i should learn from him and what i should avoid in the future, if i am in his position one day!

Be optimistic towards future and courageous to take challenges.

My lifelong wish list

2011-08-04T07:56:00.000-07:00

1. Travel around the world (Spain, New Zealand, US, Canada, Latam, Africa, Northern Europe, etc)
2. Concert of my favorite singers (Muse, Tori Amos, Kent, Keren Ann, Savage Garden, Smashing Pumpkins, etc)
3. Windsurf
4. At least one charity project
5. Piano - Grade 6
6. Open my own business
7. Live in other continent for 1 year.
8. Earn my expected salary
9. Run a 5km mini-marathon
10. Travel by driving
11. diving
12.

随想

2011-07-24T06:29:00.000-07:00

法国两周的旅行回来后，挺累的。周末按照正常的时间睡觉，这次应该没有啥时差了吧。。反正做了两天沙发土豆，应该缓过来了吧。

以前觉得赚100万，就可以退休了。可惜随着年龄的增长，照着花钱的速度，100万是不能够养活自己和家人的。所以，人也就在这无穷无尽的工作中消磨了最后的一些梦想。

那我的人生到底需要多少才可以和工作彻底说88呢？呵呵。

Focus

2011-07-02T17:33:00.001-07:00

Never care about what my boss is doing.. care only what i am doing..

5 more board games tried

2011-06-26T06:21:00.000-07:00

1. Fischmarkt

http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/22233/fischmarkt

Bidding game, 有点像以前玩的Modern Art, 是竞价类游戏，需要很好的数学头脑来计算出价，当买玩鱼后，也需要很清晰的头脑去trade fish， the tactic of when and how to use ice to freeze your fish is also quite important. 我很幸运这次胜利了。

2. Dixit
http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/39856/dixit

party type games, more suitable for girls who have imagination and more capable of description.

3. Dice Town
http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/40793/dice-town

筛子类游戏，很容易上手，入门级游戏。

4.shark
http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/433/shark

股票类游戏，也具有一定策略性，sabo他人的时候比较狠。

5. Zooloretto
http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/27588/zooloretto

动物园管理游戏，大众游戏，初级入门。可以尝试一玩。

Being challenged and demotivated

2011-06-24T18:49:00.000-07:00

This Friday is the day that i start to realize that I am so cheap. BS told me that i am not good at anything so far and this is my value. I mean yes, if you are talking about degree and professional training, i haven't been given such. Coz this is not a company which provides professional training and this is a company sucks your energy and knowledge rather than enriching you.

A good lesson to me, anyway, even though this piece of comments hurts me a lot. While, advertising is the direction he pointed to me and i personally believe i am creative and sharp enough to take this. So.. be focused. increasing my value is my goal in the next few months.

My boss really sucks and i believe he will never plan anything for me. Thus, i need to think about what could be planned for myself and what i need from this company. This is a strategic battle and i just need to conquer it.

Bravo linda, i still believe you are a hi-potential type. Keep it going~~ don't let the fog block your sight.

Shirin Neshat: Art in exile | Video on TED.com

2011-05-29T07:31:00.000-07:00

Shirin Neshat: Art in exile | Video on TED.com

Good things

2011-05-29T07:09:00.000-07:00

I start to realize the good things in my life in singapore. I went back to Shanghai one week ago for a complete rest, while surprisingly discovered that 90% of the websites i used frequently in Singapore can't be accessed or can only be accessed at a very low speed. The frustration of trying to get the quality information and get them in the similar channel makes me realize greatly about the transparency and freedom in my home country.

When i am back here and tried to watch movies through tudou, the famous chinese online video website. It took me nearly half day to finish a 40 mins movie. The way to understand a real china and access china website is also difficult for outsiders.

It sounds absurd but is real in my life. :<

Recently, i am quite happy with my life in singapore, making new friends with similar mindset, discovering lots of good lectures and exhibition here.. All these make me start to rethink my stubborn initial ideas of leaving singapore after 1 year. While, life is unexpected... i always tell myself and it's really like you never know what you will get in the future. So... don't be judgmental... my inner heart, let the things flow to me and i will make a decision naturally by heart.