夜晚的电台

我发现一个奇怪的现象。

夜色越晚，电台播的歌曲就越好听。

其他时间的歌比较不好听，还有很多广告、路况消息打岔，往往令正在读书的我听得心烦意乱。

究竟是因为夜晚的音乐比较好听，还是在万籁俱寂的时候什么音乐听起来都比较动听？

究竟是因为晚上的音乐比较有助专注，还是因为夜深人静的时候诱惑也比较少？

=S

Abraham Verghese: A doctor's touch

The i-patient: the i-patient lies on the bed waiting to be examined while the doctor attends to the 'patient' on the computer screen.

In the past: bedside rounds where the patients were at the center of the discussion.

Modern practice: rounds in the office where lab values and scan images are discussed - the patients are often not even within sight.

小红帽

今天谷歌搜索主页的插画，我看了大半天才终于想起，原来是《小红帽》的故事。

童年真的离我那么遥远了吗？

http://www.google.com/doodles/finder/2012/All%20doodles

奋斗

生命的前二十年我们在成长。

接下去的二十年我们还在成长，但同时我们也在不停地奋斗，为这一生的幸福奋斗。

每个人都只能年轻一次，但那是人生最邪恶的地方。奋斗往往就是在邪恶的、年轻的时光里发生，错过了就不能回头。

奋斗的过程中往往有得有失。没有失去，就没有得到。舍得——有舍才有得。

关键是失去的是不是永远失去了，比如健康，一旦毁了就什么本钱也没了；还有得到的，懂不懂得珍惜。若要失去了才懂得珍惜，代价就太惨重了。

无论如何，做什么事都不会是浪费，因为起码你能得到宝贵的经验。真正的浪费，是什么都不做，白白错失机会，蹉跎岁月任光阴虚度。

得失

所有的选择，都有代价，因为在得到前，一定有所失去。

在做出选择之前，不一定每次都能看清得失。一些路，只有踏上了，才能真正体会到你究竟能得到多少，而得到的又是以失去多少作为代价。

当你忽然察觉你不想再失去时，你会发现，你得到的其实很不值得。

因为失去，所以不再热忱。一切变得只为得到而得到。

当你已经没有什么好失去时，你再也不会得到了。

你得到了吗？

Mai Tu Liao

90 days.

With the countdown timer ticking away, it is time to get serious, to get going.

No more time to waste. Mai tu liao.

Weathery Mood

I can accept that the weather changes frequently and often without prior notice.

I can accept that people have different emotions in different situations.

I cannot accept it when people behave like the weather - unpredictable, volatile and inconsiderate.

One moment ago it was all sunny and happy. The next moment a storm erupts without warning.

Nowhere on my job description reads: beware of mood swings - either learn to live with it or suck thumb.

Happiness can be shared. But do not forget that angst can be contagious too.

施氏食狮史

怀念香格里拉

超级怀念那趟云南之旅。

当时没有带相机，之前朋友传送的照片光碟也不知何时弄丢了。那件事着实让我懊恼至今。

前几天朋友突然上载这张照片，再次勾起了那段美好的回忆。

那里的天好蓝好蓝，天与地的距离又是那么的近。如果问天为什么不能离地再近些，那一定是因为那里的山太高了。气势磅礴的高山，山连山，看不见尽头。高耸入云的山脉就像一连串处在天地间的支柱。

随处可见的经旗，五彩缤纷的，象征当地藏民的虔诚，也把许多地方点缀得十分绮丽。高亢悦耳的山歌，就像当地女孩一样动人。纯朴的民风，从大家在古城广场上绕成圈子一起跳民族舞蹈可见一斑。带着些许神秘又神圣色彩的藏庙，述说着当地浓郁的宗教信仰和文化。

一切那么静谧、那么和谐、那么迷人。

香格里拉。

What Defines My Quality of Life Now

I suddenly realised what define my quality of life at the moment, in order of priority:

1. Getting my dinner no later than 8pm

2. Having breakfast that can last me until lunch time

3. Getting 6 hours of sleep at night

It will be a great luxury if I can get that 7th hour of sleep.

Life of a minion.

愚昧、固执

是愚昧，还是固执？

宁可相信政治人物的一派胡言，也不愿听清真相

宁可相信旁门左道的江湖术士，也不愿接受正规治疗

那些害人利己的政治人物，那些谋财害命的不良术士，正是利用人们的无知和迷信而趁虚而入

当人们醒悟时往往为时已晚，但更可悲的是一辈子都被蒙骗的受害者

怎样才能唤醒迷途的羔羊，怎样才能制止无良分子的罪孽？

Rain rain rain

The picture below says it all:

From NEA's website: accessed at 4.45pm
http://app2.nea.gov.sg/12hnowcast.aspx

Praying hard that the thunderstorms do not occur when I travel to or back from work. Even though it is just a short walking distance down / up the hill, there is no sheltered walkway and umbrellas are grossly insufficient in the face of fierce storms like those over the past few days.

The worst feeling at work is to wade around with stinky feet soaked in soggy shoes.

3 Idiots

Rancho: All izz well!

Rancho: That day I understood that this heart scares easily. You have to trick it, however big the problem is. Tell your heart, 'Pal, all is well. All is well.'
Raju: Does that solve the problem?
Rancho: No, but you gain courage to face it.

Rancho: Pursue excellence, and success will follow, pants down.

Virus: The chicken’s clueless about the egg’s fate: will it hatch or become an omelette?

Rancho: Make your passion your profession, and work will become a game.

一千人的臨終遺憾 , 生命盡頭最后悔的五件事

值得深省……

中秋月

今天是八月十五中秋节，华人传统节日之一。

一家团聚，共赏圆月，莫大欢乐。
离乡游子，遥望明月，徒思家人。
嫦娥玉兔，千古神话，世代流传。
齐尝月饼，众志驱虏，万民报国。
群童提灯，心无忧虑，何其快活？

Final Year Happiness

Happy moments of my final year in Hall:

Hall M5s @ FHD 2012

KElaysians + Kelvin @ Malaysian Night 2012

Softball IBG 2012

人生至理

行善是一辈子的事，作恶只需要一个念头。

以前一个妈妈可以照顾十个孩子，现在十个孩子照顾不了一个妈妈。

Exam Skills

Lesson learnt: be prepared for very unexpected cases in exams. Don't panic, stay calm and think with a clear mind. Work from first principles and reason your way out. Try your best and leave the rest to luck.

If you are fortunate, you get examiners who will prompt and lead you back onto the right path;  but if you are unlucky, the smiling tigers will lead you onto the wrong path and then maul you alive.

If you are fortunate, you get nice patients who will drop hints and assist you in whatever way they can; but if you are not so lucky, patients might give you less helpful information or even bring you down the wrong path.

Whatever the case, the golden rule of the game is to hold your nerves steady throughout. Listen carefully to what the patients are saying because most of the time, they are telling you the answer. Even if you screw up one station, quickly forget about it and recover for the next.

逍遥叹

演唱：胡歌

岁月难得沉默 秋风厌倦漂泊

夕阳赖着不走 挂在墙头舍不得我

昔日伊人耳边话 已和潮声向东流

再回首 往事也随枫叶一片片落

爱已走到尽头 恨也放弃承诺

命运自认幽默 想法太多由不得我

壮志凌云几分愁 知己难逢几人留

再回首 却闻笑传醉梦中

笑谈词穷古痴今狂终成空

刀钝刃乏恩断义绝梦方破

路荒遗叹饱览足迹没人懂

多年望眼欲穿过红尘滚滚我没看透

词嘲墨尽千情万怨英杰愁

曲终人散发花鬓白红颜殁

烛残未觉与日争辉徒消瘦

当泪干血盈眶涌白雪纷飞都成空

戏剧情牵30年

一首主题曲，传唱那么多年，已成了时光和回忆主题曲。

首首动人的旋律，撩拨起记忆的涟漪，仿佛又回到了从前，从前的那些美好时光。

关怀方式

又一首百听不厌的经典老歌。

寂寞开在心事旁，随手种一些伤感，
不让星星来窥探，找个沉默的夜晚。
找个沉默的夜晚，不让星星来窥探，
随手种一些伤感，寂寞开在心事旁。
我的关怀方式是你无法察觉的悲凉，
只能在你不经意时才锁上我心房。
你往常的亲切友善是我今生的遗憾，
受伤后无悔的埋在不流露的脸上。

The Lighthouse

寻找好书

我想读这两本书：

《生命没有如果》

《医院，我的乌托邦》

都是李永业医生的作品。

有机会必须到书局逛逛，看能不能找到这两本书。

Android Emulator

Due to my uncontrollable curiosity, I downloaded an Android emulator for PC and installed Whatsapp a while back. People begin to assume that I own a smartphone and conveniently send me messages via Whatsapp, thinking I would check it often and reply in time. However, the truth is I do not own a smartphone yet. I rarely log into the emulator as it is very laggy and hogs computer memory.

Recently I missed several important and rather urgent messages sent to me via Whatsapp. Two possible solutions come to mind:

1. Cultivate a new habit of checking my Whatsapp messages regularly, OR

2. Uninstall the emulator and announce to everybody I do not own a smartphone

A remotely distant possible third solution would be for me to get a smartphone and data plan ASAP, but I do not foresee that happening in the short term.

Perhaps I should not have allowed my curiosity to run wild in the first place. Now I am in a fix. Hmm....

城里的月光

一首经典老歌，不管什么时候听，都能被深深地感动。

 

每颗心上某一个地方，总有个记忆挥不散。
每个深夜某一个地方，总有着最深的思量。
世界万千的变幻，爱把有情的人分两端。
心若知道灵犀的方向，那怕不能够朝夕相伴？

城里的月光把梦照亮，请温暖他心房。
看透了人间聚散，能不能多点快乐片段？
城里的月光把梦照亮，请守护他身旁。
若有一天能重逢，让幸福撒满整个夜晚。

佳言分享

1. 不要去欺骗别人，因为你能骗到的人，都是相信你的人。
2. 成功的人不是赢在起点，而是赢在转折点。
3. 向昨天要经验，向今天要成果，向明天要动力。

摘录自《悦读书房》

Human Birth on MRI

Simply amazing!

窗外的天地

蓝天、白云

凉风、艳阳

大海、远山、孤岛

海港、货船、烟囱

楼房、屋瓦

绿叶、鸟语、虫鸣

冷饮、电扇、心情

此刻的我，正享受着窗外的天地。

Softball

I first started playing softball in secondary school, under rather unexpected circumstances. Throughout my stint in the team I was more of a bench warmer than a regular player. Despite the grim prospects within the CCA, I remained committed and trained to my best of abilities. I grew to love the game even though I was often left out of action. I also learnt about the importance of team work - as my coach always said, "Softball is a team game."

When I progressed to JC, I thought it was time I moved on to something else, so I left the team. For many years, I never thought about playing the sport again. While I did not sell my glove and boots away, I stashed them in some obscure corner at home - totally abandoned and forgotten.

In my second year as a Hall resident, my friend Mafer, who happened to be the Hall's softball team captain, asked me to join the team. She knew I had a bit of experience, exactly what the team needed at that moment as an entire batch of champion-winning players just left the team. I thought about it and decided to help her out. The first thing I did was to search through my entire house to find my glove and boots. To my amazement, I found them in pretty good shape - no mould and definitely not rotten. After slight cleaning up and seasoning, they were back in good shape.

感人

虽然是广告，却非常深刻地传达了现实，很感人。

Pour Your Heart Into It

Honestly, I never knew much about the story behind Starbucks, or the person who built the global business empire. It was through this book, written by none other than Howard Schultz, founder and CEO of the modern Starbucks, that I got to understand so much more about what Starbucks stood for and how it defied the odds in its early days to become so hugely successful. Reading the book was like listening to Howard narrating his childhood days, how he broke through the mould of his humble beginnings, how he chanced upon the passion of his lifetime, how he struggled to make Starbucks a viable start-up and how he eventually made it into a national and global brand. It was unlike any other books that describe business theories or prescribe ready-made formulas for success. It was more of a window into the mind and the heart of the person who built the company, and witnessing the growth story of both the company and the mastermind behind it. Really, really inspiring.

Assertive Listening

Don’t

1. Constantly compare yourself to the speaker (You broke your arm? I broke my spine!)
2. Try to read the mind of the speaker
3. Practice selective listening (filtering)
4. Be judgmental
5. Take every conversation as an intellectual debate, with the aim of defeating the ‘opponent’

Do

1. Ask for clarification and elaboration
2. Paraphrase and mirror
3. Respond with genuine empathy
4. Provide constructive feedback
5. Pay attention to body language

“If we were supposed to talk more than we listen, we’d have two mouths and one ear” – Mark Twain

Shape Up or Ship Out

What worked in the past no longer seem to work for the present. In fact, if you insist of applying what worked in the past to the present, you are committing a mistake. Times have changed. Problems evolve all the time. So solutions must adapt too.

Try fighting constantly mutating bacteria with antibiotics which they have grown resistant to. You might end up killing the patient with the very same antibiotic which had worked wonders in the past. Or try talking to your rebellious teenage child like a three year-old. Your words will most likely end up on deaf ears.

The same applies to many things around us today.

My Friends

Many of my close friends in Hall are graduating from university this year. On one hand, I feel really happy for them, but on the other, I dread having to part with them as they move out from Hall.

They have been my closest friends in since I came to university. They have been my listening ears when I needed one, my greatest sources for help and support, my reliable companions and comrades in Hall activities, my jogging-mates, my regular dinner-mates, my sources of inspiration and happiness…

While they are not about to wholly disappear from my life, the physical and social distance between us are about to widen. It might be easy to say that modern technology makes such distances non-existent, but my relationship with them will not likely be as close as before when we lived as each other’s neighbours. It requires much more effort to keep in contact with each other, and as everyone will only get busier, such effort may be far from a certainty.

Facing with the prospect of losing a significant part of my social support network, I am unprepared and feeling increasingly insecure. But I believe I have the power to make the choice of how to deal with this situation.

Firstly, I sincerely feel happy for my friends as they have accomplished a major milestone in their lives. I am also glad that I will always be part of their fond memories of Hall life and I have absolutely no regrets having them as my best friends in Hall.

As they are about to embark on a brand new journey, they will be facing a lot of challenges, from settling into their new careers to housing issues. I shall continue to provide them support and encouragement as far as I can, and I shall offer to be their listening ears when they need one. Amidst all the uncertainties they might be facing, I hope to be there to provide some familiarity and comfort.

At the same time, I shall make the conscious effort to keep in contact with them via various means like meet ups and online conversations. This should be a sustainable effort, as I truly value the friendships and intend to continue having them as friends.

Last but not least, it is time for me to widen my social support network. I have to start building networks around me, not just in Hall but also among my classmates and other contacts. This would require tremendous effort, but you can only reap what you sow. So the initial effort must come from me.

In summary, think positively and cherish whatever I have now! (=

Precious Things in Life

The most precious things in life cannot be bought.

It does not matter whether you are rich or poor. What matters most is whether you are able to cherish them for the rest of your life.

They require your lifelong commitment and utmost effort, but their rewards are similarly lasting and enormous. In fact, they are often your most valuable assets, for they will accompany you through thick and thin, regardless of whether you are at your career’s peak or in your life’s darkest moments. Their inherent values do not shrink with inflation. Instead they grow as you age and offer the best returns all the time.

To me, happiness, health and harmony (with family and friends) are the most precious things in life, and none of them can be bought. What are your most precious things in life?

JB & Singapore from the ISS

Image courtesy of the Image Science & Analysis Laboratory, NASA Johnson Space Center
http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov

干杯

愿望

大部分的人都是平民百姓，求的只是平安健康的生活，或许你觉得我没志气胸无大志，但一份工作要做几年？五年？十年？二十年？你生病躺在医院里，公司不会照顾你，只会送给你慰问金。你一辈子没结婚，公司不会帮你来电50，只会把更多工作丢给你。你没好好陪伴家人，到最后心里有了遗憾，公司不会帮你请心理医生。

健康是一辈子、人生是一辈子、家人是一辈子，人生唯一的责任就是对自己负责：对你的健康负责，对你的人生负责，对你的家人负责，这些才是你真正的责任。学习时间留给家人跟自己，你不会失去什么，只会得到更多快乐。

http://beckyhw8164.pixnet.net/blog/post/20117218

我的愿望就是能够以全新的态度面对人生，把坏习惯都通通改掉！=)

Wealth and Happiness

Study after study by psychologists has shown that there is no correlation between wealth and happiness. The only exception is in cases of real poverty, when extra income does relieve suffering and brings security. But once our basic material needs are satisfied, our level of income makes little difference to our level of happiness. Research has shown, for example, that extremely rich people such as billionaires are not significantly happier than people with an average income, and suffer from higher levels of depression. Researchers in positive psychology have concluded that true well-being does not come from wealth but from other factors such as good relationships, meaningful and challenging jobs or hobbies, and a sense of connection to something bigger than ourselves (such as a religion, a political or social cause, or a sense of mission).

Personal Progress through Positive Thinking

This book by Hilary Jones and Frank Gilbert introduces the powerful concept of positive thinking. Simply by choosing to think in a positive manner, we can bring about tremendous improvements in our lives. The quote by Buddha right at the start of the book says it all, “We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts we make the world.”

The Happy Secret to Better Work

http://www.ted.com/talks/shawn_achor_the_happy_secret_to_better_work.html

The link above provides the same video with subtitles.

Instead of deriving happiness from success, the formula should be reversed because positive thinking breeds success!

The Value of A Smile

It costs nothing, but creates much.

It enriches those who receive, without impoverishing those who give.

It happens in a flash and the memory of it sometimes lasts forever.

None are so rich they can get along without it, and none so poor but are richer for its benefits.

It creates happiness in the home, fosters good will in a business, and is the countersign of friends.

It is rest to the weary, daylight to the discouraged, sunshine to the sad, and Nature’s best antidote for the trouble.

Yet it cannot be bought, begged, borrowed, or stolen, for it is something that is no earthly good to anybody till it is given away.

And if in the last-minute rush of Christmas buying some of our salespeople should be too tired to give you a smile, may we ask you to leave one of yours?

For nobody needs a smile so much as those who have none left to give!

(=

How to Keep a Disagreement from Becoming an Argument

Welcome the disagreement. Remember the slogan, "When two partners always agree, one of them is not necessary." If there is some points you haven't thought about, be thankful if it is brought to your attention. Perhaps this disagreement is your opportunity to be corrected before you make a serious mistake.

Distrust your first instinctive impression. Our first natural reaction is a disagreement situation is to be defensive. Be careful. Keep calm and watch your worst, not your best.

Control your temper. Remember, you can measure the size of a person by what makes him or her angry.

Listen first. Give your opponents a chance to talk. Let them finish. Do not resist, defend or debate. This only raises barriers. Try to build bridges of understanding. Don't build higher barriers of misunderstanding.

Path to Financial Freedom

Achieving financial freedom, defined as the freedom from having to work for survival, shall be one of my life goals. I hope to achieve it no later than when I reach age 60.

That does not mean that I will head straight into retirement. It just means that I can choose to work purely out of passion and love for my career. By taking the element of ‘working for survival’ out of the picture, I am certain that my job satisfaction will be much higher and my stress level will be at a more desirable level.

 

Furthermore, such freedom provides the best security for the future. I shall not have to worry about my finances for the remaining years of my life, and I do not have to burden anyone else financially.

But to achieve financial freedom is not easy. It takes a lot of determination, planning, hard work and education. That being said, I regard this as an important and long-term priority, and I am willing to put in the effort and time to work towards the fulfilment of this goal.

 

To be a Better Person

The best listener is often the best communicator around. If you want to be heard, first listen to what others have to say.

7 Keys to Better Listening

1. Listening is NOT a passive activity!
2. Listen for unspoken fears, concerns, moods, and aspirations.
3. Good listening requires great wisdom.
4. Listen to others with respect and validation.
5. Listen without thinking about how you're going to respond.
6. Listen for tell-tale signs of impending trouble.
7. Listen with positive regard for people's strengths & abilities.

Source: http://www.stresscure.com/relation/7keys.html

什么是烦恼？

人的烦恼就12个字：放不下，想不开，看不透，忘不了。

——《悦读书房》

Placebo Effect

James Lind (1716-1794), first to perform a clinical trial.

An important lesson in physic is here to be learnt, viz., the wonderful and powerful influence of the passions of the mind on the state and disorders of the body. This is too often overlooked in the cure of diseases.

In the clinical trial, he sought to prove that a diet lacking citrus fruits was the cause of scurvy.

While he spoke of the possibility of the mind influencing the body’s state, it was John Haygarth (1740 – 1827) who first demonstrated the true existence of the placebo effect.

Haygarth's experiment

诺亚方舟

CHP

CHP is over! I must say that I have learnt a lot from the project, mainly by getting myself involved in the various stages of the project. A lot was gained merely by observation. All those data analysis skills will also be useful for any future project that I wish to embark on.

I really cherished the opportunity to learn and to work with so many colleagues on this project. It was really an enjoyable and fruitful experience.

A quote from a book I’ve been reading recently:

学会让感情跟随你的思想，而不要让思想跟着你的感情。

——《富爸爸，穷爸爸》

涵养 理性 慈悲

一个人的涵养，不在心平气和时，而是心浮气燥时；一个人的理性，不在风平浪静时，而是众声喧哗时；一个人的慈悲，不在居高临下时，而是人微言轻时；情侣间的尊重，不是闲情逸致时，而是观点相左时；夫妻间的恩爱，不在花前月下时，而是大难临头时。

——《悦读书房》

New Template

New template design! (=

Spent almost the entire yesterday re-designing my blog. Decided to stick with simplicity – looks less cluttered and healthier for the eyes. Youtube videos also no longer seem to cause any scrolling lag - an irritating problem with my previous template, which was one of the primary reasons behind this template change. The other main reason is of course, it’s time for my blog to sport a new look and feel.

This template was built from the basic Simplicity template provided by Blogger. Added some tweaks to the original version, such as the post dates in calendar format, as well as author and time stamp appearing under the post title instead of next to the comments and tags. As I am a rookie when it comes to webpage designing and in general, IT stuff, it took me quite a while to figure out how to achieve those effects. A lot of time was wasted trying to understand the codes making up the blog. After much trial and error I finally got them to work exactly the way I wanted. Thankfully all the effort paid off as I felt quite satisfied with the new design and everything seems to be working smoothly so far!

!!!

最先道歉的人最勇敢；最先原谅的人最坚强；最先释怀的人最幸福。

——《悦读书房》

3 'E's

If a person truly learns from a mistake, his or her life changes forever, and what that person gains instead of experience is 'wisdom'.

1. Education

2. Experience

3. Excessive cash

I have zero of (2) and negative of (3), so the only thing I can do now is to accumulate (1). Anyway, the only capitals I have now are time and interest (interest in knowing more about financial literacy).

How I wished they taught us anything about financial literacy in school.

How to Stop Worrying and Start Living

Seize the day. Live in day-tight compartments.

The best possible way to prepare for tomorrow is to concentrate with all your intelligence, all your enthusiasm, on doing today's work superbly today.

1) What is the worst that can possibly happen if I can't solve my problem?

2) Prepare mentally to accept the worst

3) Calmly try to improve upon the worst

The Last Lecture

When Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon, was asked to give such a lecture, he didn't have to imagine it as his last, since he had recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer. But the lecture he gave--"Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams"--wasn't about dying. It was about the importance of overcoming obstacles, of enabling the dreams of others, of seizing every moment (because "time is all you have...and you may find one day that you have less than you think"). It was a summation of everything Randy had come to believe. It was about living.

梦想跟现实折衷

长大了，梦想难免要跟现实折衷，这才是长大。

IHG 2011

就这样，一年又过了。

那些年，我们一起打过的球。

遗憾。

累。

淡忘

盼望 〉渴望 〉失望〉绝望 ...

渐渐地，就会变成淡忘。

2012!

2012 2012 2012 2012 2012!

1. To know what I want to be

2. To keep a healthier lifestyle

Happy New Year! (=

A bit too early for this but this is really nice! (=