人生的价值

2nd Sept 2009

好久没写了，没心情。这段日子来，看了不少有所启发的文章和句子，可是都没记下来，真没毅力！只记得下面这些。

“the Value of a man resides in what he gives and not in what he is capable of receiving.” –Albert Einstein 【from cadanlar】

“第一堂课，老师说：我想请各位问一下自己，喜欢钱么？想赚钱吗？如果不是，那你一定学不好，读这堂课就是为了学会赚更多钱。•••••“
“人活着就是要创造价值•••年入2万•••每小时十元不到•••我每天27万的营业额，所以没分每秒都要创造价值。。甚至上厕所时都要想着••••这样人生就有了意义••哪怕明天世界末日，都死而无憾•••“。--激励讲师
同一篇文章里••
“一个有三个孩子的母亲，35岁突然失明。••没有怨天尤人，从新学习适应生活，现在每天可以为家人准备三餐，并照常上班，担任员工激励及公司文化推展工作••一自己的亲身经历激励周围的人••••“
一个在讲怎么怎么充分从新学习贡献自己，一个在讲怎么为自己赚更多钱才有价值••••谁比较有价值？
“基本款”- 文章说的是懂得怎么适当纯朴而不忘创意点缀得高雅得体的穿着。Simplicity？作者认为过着基本款的生活和人生才是有智慧的人。

相当同意！

我的人生目标是如何平平稳稳的，没有大过错的，经济中等的，孩子健康董事的，顺利完成大学学业和有份自己喜欢和有意义的工作，我和太太年老的时候不要有大病，能够自给自足，不用给孩子负担，过自己喜欢的生活。

这属不属于“基本款”的人生？有了“基本款”的生活，才有剩余的精力，时间和心思在生活里加些创意的点缀，使自己和身边的人生活更有意义，更快乐。

问题是这样的人生只有在死去后才会被人发觉，在灵台前当所有认识他的人把他的人生拼图完成之后。当他确定死去了再也不会制造破坏他形象任何过错了的时候。这样的人往往都是默默无闻不起眼的小人物。只有自己和欣赏自己的人知道。自己很努力的坚持“快乐的骄傲着••••”，是吗？

前一阵子看到的大自然：

黄昏的球场

天空有条鱼

住在别墅的德国孩子卖妈妈做的果酱

麦里芝的越野跑道

Our Family Catle By The Sea

Inspirations

1. 我一直埋怨自己没有一支时尚的好錶，直到有一天我看到一个没有手的人！
2. 那晚上完了亲子课之后，我决心要改变心情，不要再埋怨生活，让自己活得幸福。这样我才能为孩子带来充满幸福的氛围，为他们也活的幸福。
3. 那些勇敢跃龙门的鲤鱼变成了威武的巨龙。不敢跃龙门的鲤鱼，永远只能呆在河流里当鲤鱼。
4. 草根代表着这样一群人：他们知道自己很优秀，眼界比别人宽，舞台比别人大。但是他们简单，低调，很热爱身边的每个人，不自大，很快乐地骄傲着。
5. 别让繁华一夜之间消失了！--新疆种族暴乱事件。
6. “人们思维的5%是理性的，另外95%是感性的”。因此品牌也应该涵盖这两方面（阴阳）。 成功的品牌除了注重产品的性能等理性特征，也应该在情感上吸引顾客。--Laurenz Koehier, Partner, Mext Management @Singapore Prestige Brand Award 09.
7. 企业的价值主要来自无形资产，包括品牌、客户、技术以及主要的合同等。英国FTSE350指数公司年度报表调查显示有344家公司其企业价值的72%无法在资产负债（balance sheet） 上显示出来； 美国财富500企业的70% 至80%的价值来自非有形资产。经济海啸让新加坡品牌价值，无形资产减少了US 203 billion。Other than brand, other intangible asset include IP, Guanxi, etc. IP is important to Pharma and BioTech. Guanxi and training is key for retail, and branding is important for mechanized products. Company must protect their intangible asset by patenting or register their brand to protect their profit.
8. Using Singapore Brand Name to differentiate itself from competitor in China.
9. Before 2025, there will be 7mil tertiary education requirement. 70% will come from Asia and having 1/5 world population china will be the major market source.
10. 台湾对中国文化和保护十分良好，一些传统留下来的东西，台湾的创意文化也非常棒。--毛泽东的外甥女孔东梅
11. Breadtalk带 给人的印象是很新奇：现场烘培，落地玻璃窗柜台，以及白色座面、地板等，给人一种时尚感和“高品质”的信心。
12. 读报不只教学也指引人生路。新加坡的教师好辛苦，学生也好辛苦！

更多启示

9th July 2009：

“尚待香港、善用香港”我说还要“珍惜香港“！

香港是我去过的中国城市最漂亮的地方！我想在古时发现这绿水青山的人会不会以为他们到了世外桃源-Shangri-La，? 现在她是个3D感特别强结合摩登和自然美的的城市。不管你在哪里都能在冷气房里欣赏到山和水。要是幸运的碰上南天白云的天气时，白天她山明水秀，晚上她光芒四射。只真可惜的是这么难得的一颗珍珠宝贝，常常要受尽空气的污染和狂风的摧残！台风不可避免而且还有维多利亚山自然的保护在，空气污染应该可以避免吧？还有我对他们土木工程的规模和成就非常佩服。他们有数不尽的山里水里的隧道和数不尽的高架桥和高架路，还有数不尽的山路和山丘防塌墙（Retaining Wall），还有连绵不断的瘦瘦的高高的，直入云霄的高楼！

“华文？谁怕谁！”大决赛冠军荣衔被一位英校生赢得。我有看节目，应该不会是kelong。讽刺不？可笑不？倒是真的应了“谁怕谁？”！

我倒认为问题不是因为怕华文难学而不学好华文. 你听那些老外相声讲得多好，真的不需要怕！可是老实说如果我是新加坡学生的话，我肯定会怕。当然要怕啦。一直以来，要在这个环境学好华文真的是不简单。怕别人瞧不起自己“蒋爪李-Jiang Zua Lee-讲钞票”或者Chinese Helicopter，怕在多数是红毛派的同学，学校，社会这样的环境里没有环境学好，怕接触华文学习华文的机会少可是又要考及格，怕这怕那的··是有好多可怕的，不是吗？

要学好华文，主要的还是要给自己一个适于学习和应用的环境和一个正确的心态。老一代的会以5000年宝贵的中华文化和饮水思源等只有中年人老年人会明白的的理由来说服新一代学习华文-徒劳！可是我就不会这么做。我会从经济的角度去看待和学华文很COOL很IN很时尚而且也很迫切的方向去找解决的方法。一旦他们学成后这些文化的精髓自然会他们会间接的受益。现在主要的还是让他们清楚的认识到学华文是给自己要将来世界和区域经济多一个立足的必需条件和优势。节目里那么多老外和他们的孩子都在学华文就证明这一点。还有的新加坡年轻一代如果知道当今有多少老外特地跑到中国去学习华文他们一定会觉得这是很酷很IN很迫切然后会很惊慌失措！

当然我们也要提供他们一个环境。在学校华文的contact hour一定要足够。以前华校连数理科都用华文为教媒有足够学习时间和机会。现在华文变成单独的语文课，如果要教得好，当然要加学习时间。这可以考虑其公民课也以华文为教导媒体。还有教学方法要有趣有效、老师和学生不能有代沟问题，还有教材可以考虑用一些西方POP Culture 的内容让现代的学生能和学科和老师有共鸣.在一些非常传统hardcore的AngMo派学校，应该以英语来教华文，等等。在一个家庭里，家长们在家里和外出要多给孩子机会练习。孩子们在学校和同学哪里已经有好多机会学习英文了，家长们就不用怕输的再多提供机会。很多时候我倒觉得家长们是不是他们的自尊心在作祟，怕别人认为他们是hilicopter，JiangZuaLee所以在大庭广众和和朋友面前宁可选择和孩子以英语交谈。至于在社会，我们要消除对于华文的歧视，在工作上多提供应用华文的机会（越来越多和中国通商的机会会慢慢的解决这问题），帮他们排除怕环境，怕歧视和非技术难题的因素。我们的电视节目可以考虑从港中台引进一些适合各年龄的有趣的有素质的节目。在这样全面配合的策略下我们的孩子应该很快就会学有所成。所以我建议下一个推广华文的计划和主题可以考虑“华文？谁不学就会死得很快！”其实我们要扪心自问，如果我们真的觉得华文是非常重要，将会是以后的生存问题，那提高下一代华文水平和能力是势在必得的是很迫切的，哪，一个有效和有力的办法就是从新规定华人子弟(除了特殊情况可以考虑罢免）入大学需要华文及格的标准。可是大前提是首先我们的华文教育制度和方法，师资，家庭和社会要具备必需的辅助条件。要不，我们还是会面临以前政府受到家长压力必需决定取消大学华文入学标准的情况。本人也不用担心我的老二和老三像我的老大(I Hate Chinese!)的情况一样，没有学习华文的环境而放弃原本的坚持。


8th July 2009

压力差理论---倒塌的是信赖：

“按照上海的实际情况和倒塌效果，今后拆楼，只要在一侧挖个4.6m的坑，另一侧堆积10米高的土，就可以达到预期的效果。”
“根据上海‘莲花河畔景苑七号楼’十米土堆产生3000吨侧向力的理论，估计珠穆朗玛峰将会对印度板块产生上万亿吨的侧向力，印度板块在巨大的侧向力挤压下，即将向印度洋深处漂移，成为孤岛”。

哈哈哈or LOL。

“最痛苦的事不是买了的楼塌了，而是它还没塌”。

痛苦，真的是痛苦！这句很经典！

Regarding the collapsed Shanghai building:

"Impartial and substantive government supervision and professional ethics are absent."--Ching Cheong

Is this comment applicable to case of Lehmen Brother and the cause of the collapse of the world economy and the financial crisis?

和我的华文老师谈起这这则新闻时被他骂了一顿， 因为发音不准。My华语发音Better be标准（噢：乱乱参不西不中也不行的哦）！我把公寓说成工艺-上海有一座叫汤臣一品的公艺【寓】。还有河畔说成【合办】”！真是“一声之差，相隔千里。”搞得他莫名其妙。 这种语音的问题最经典最糟糕的恐怕是“小姐，你的下面（虾麵一晚（碗）多少钱？”吧？可以想象我们这些烂华语（没把四是四，十是十，四十是四十搞清楚的华人子弟去到中国有多出丑吗？

7th July 2009

麦克杰逊MJ是个害羞，没有安全感的人！天啊，他那么成功还•••••。哪我们这些无名小卒呢？人到底要以什么标准来衡量自己的成就？

6 July 2009

长寿的代价是沧桑?

几时我们变成觉得长寿是负担？年轻时我们不是一直在追求长寿的福气吗？台湾人说活过78岁是有福气的人，连讣告文都要红色的。可是，最近新加坡人怕活得太老。怕给孩子经济包袱，怕拖累孩子！还好前一阵子政府誊清不是不要那些付不起的老人到邻国去养老。要不真的是不知道这是什么世界喔！

“自由不能长存 -- 人民即使腐化不能长存，乃是主人也！。。。。Edmund Burke 【among a people generally corrupt, liberty cannot long exist. 人民如诺腐化，自由便不能长存。”

“走人不丹：寻找快乐
去不丹：把心灵净化了
坚持：追求快乐的方式
平等：没有比较和欲望
敬仰：亲民亲政的国王
信仰：尊敬传统文化和宗教
隐忧：现代的冲击”

原始与现代化，是两极。难道不能有原始、自然、又文明的净土吗？

Blue Mountain /Hunter Valley– taste of good wine and rustic life. There are towships where artists, musicians and writer trive. Hunter Semilon and Shiraz are the famous local produce.

几年前去过一次，有机会在哪里设立其中一个养老基地也不错！

又有启示

5 July 2009: 不是我说的，也是在报上读到的！

“需要你时是人才，不需要你时是庸才，我们年轻的下一代，要如何为这国家奉献出真爱？
·······只有让人看到落势者在这国家也受到扶助和关怀，他亲友中地人才，才会感受到这国家有温暖和亲情有温馨·······。纵使我们曾经迷失，理想曾经幻灭，也不希望自己有才华的年轻一代重蹈覆辙。未来，由他们自己选择。”

都说了，让他们去吧。真需要他们的话，把自家家里upgrade一下，铺上大理石地砖，金属用具镶上黄金，制造一个又安全、豪华，先进，方便、生活工作养老医疗有保障、有文化，有感情，有真爱、优雅、有温馨的家园，再铺上红地毯，呼唤他们回来。现在的人，有人力的话谁不希望生活在地球村这样的一个地方呢？就像在新加坡，我么向往地址是靠近乌节路，是东海岸、是东陵、是荷兰路、是武吉知马。

“城市怪风： 生活在城市丛林，走在高楼区街道上，你是否觉察到风很古快，不但方向凌乱，而且忽强忽落，遽然刮起。这就是所谓的高楼风。这风影响着人类，也给予人类无限的启示。”

风，以前全岛多数的房子都是平房，风从哪里来我们都知道。现在，我们还知道它是东还是西面吹来的吗？知道风在吹的感觉真好，因此我喜欢带孩子到东海岸吹风。看到风的感觉也不错，所以我就在高楼的家的窗口竖起了个小风车。看着它在转才能体会大地和生命在持续的活着，消除窒息的感觉。

启示

2 July 2009: Thought After reading the News Papers today (ST and ZB):

“民主非常重要。如何加强政治合法性，最重要的一条是让老百姓来做主。是否选择推行民主考虑的因素不是公民素质，而在于是否承认人对利益的追求。计划经济时期，强调个人利益被认为“自私自利”，“剥削阶级思想在作怪”， 反之，市场经济时代认可人们光明正大的追求个人利益，这样市场经济的环境下，对民主的要求会自然形成。--王长江（中央党校党建教研部主任）”

好样的，其实中国有很多明人义士。还是有希望的！

“当TWITTER敲响大门时，每个政治家应该这样问自己，“我准备好了吗？””

无形的力量，不用到什么海德公园或芳林公园了。小心哦！

Was reading a book <10 Days MBA>. The 2nd most important topic was Ethics. Ethics? I am thinking whether Standford, Madoff and the rest of the western conspirator/politicians study MBA? However, after reading it, i realised that it actually teaches you how to be aware of the ethics issue and avoid the legal consequentials!! What else can i say?

上海，外滩？人们为硕果仅存的一些100历史的上海古建筑物爱惜。哪，中国千年来的古建筑物呢，是不是该更加痛心疾首的惋惜？新加坡才有几年历史，也没有什么好保留啦。可是是不是自古以来中国人都是这么想所以才没留下什么东西？看看欧洲，随地都可找到上千年历史的砖块！

与陌生人聊天 – 为什么要不知所措，怕说话不得体，有失身份？因为我们太拜金主义，太势利眼？这些是什么人？我们需要他们才能活命吗？他们操纵了我们的生命！老外为什么不会这样呢？我们要到几岁脑袋才会通呢？

Two articles relate to the same topic:-
- Despite the advances in water technology, the cheaper source of water is still rain water collected by JB or ourselves! And certain current water contract with JB is rexpring in 2011. 2011!!????

- Water is a common but very precious asset. Without water, human beings cannot survive. Without water, the planet’s ecosystem, which sustain life, will be destroyed. Without water, there will be no agriculture and no industry, without water, life on planet Earth will perish. The right of a person to safe and affordable water is a basic human right. It is a great shame that, at the beginning of the 21st century, about one billion out of six billion people do not enjoy this right. In Asia, about 700,million people do not have access to safe and affordable water.

And after putting the message from these two article together, huh! It remind me how fragile Singapore is! Water agreement with JB expired In 2011???!! What will be the price of the water be? Can the water technology we tried to develop be able to resolved our basic human needs at a "afordable Price"?

Casino watch dogs sharpen their teeth to learn the dirty treats so as to catch those who play dirty. I am concern with what will become of Singapore? What had happened to the social morality of Macao and sin city Las Vega? May be we should also need to sharpen our teeth to defend against creating more gamblers and sex workers?

The one that went away – Han Kee Juan, director of the Washington School of Ballet. Together with reports several day ago about why 1/5 of 4 As Singaporean students are not returning. Now, I thought i can see the picture. If Han did not make the move, he will not be what he is today. Like the "failed artist" featured in yesterday’s paper who teaches Arts in Australia for 20 years! And many others, these people take the risk to dream their dreams. They have the chance to live among the top and most advanced thinking people in the world. When they have learned and achieved thier success and Singapore become an attractive place for them to live, they will return. When we are digging at others backyard for talents, why we can't accept others are digging? Hence the reality is striving to be the best place for the bests. But the important things is what are the true criteria for the "best" that the bests are aftering??

戏很好看

上周难得有机会去看了三晚的《青春版牡丹亭》演出，非常好看！丝绸与水墨的布景，凄美的故事，优雅柔和的舞步，动人心弦的词句（读英文的翻译也是一大享受）和绕梁的歌声。极端的（对我来说）视界，听觉，和心灵享受，真的是“美”不胜收！中国还有都少类似的现代和古典的宝藏我们还没去发觉？

无独有偶

上周从书房拿起一份旧的早报副刊(今年一月四号的罢）翻了翻，发现里面有两则报道的内容和我在博客里发表的记录无独有偶的有些类似的感想;一是《观树》，另一是《步行》，心有同感，好不心怡！不同的是我不需要到植物园去观树，在新加坡很多偏郊的街道旁都看得到。还有我不喜欢在人多车多的地方去，喧闹和汽车的排气让我头疼。

自然美

今天开车送小女到学校的途中早晨的灿烂阳光透过树枝叶把路边的遮荫树上寄生植物照射的特别青葱翠绿。

这些寄生植物不是特意种植上去的；像最近很流行的垂直种植花园，它是小鸟的杰作。人们刻意的想要自然怎么也比不上自然的自然。。。看。。。。






好几年不常在新加坡，最近回来到处走走才发现全岛好多树木都长满了这些自然美丽的植物。我们的绿化行动到最后连自然界也被感动了，它也在帮忙新加坡的绿化了！这是不是自然界在告诉我们 “顺我者昌。。”的意思？

到处走走

This morning while doing my ocassional walking at lower Pierce reservoir, notice the landscap and sky was stunningly beautiful.

Lately, been into the hobby of walking arround as a form of excercise. Minimum 5km per trip but sometime up to 10km for places such as east-coast part. i like the freedom of being on my own foot and could stop or detour say to the beach or look up an ancient tree in the nature reserve.

I expecially like the open board-walk at Macritchie, half under the shade half open to the water of the reservior. It help to clear the lump off my chest whenever i walk down the path.




On Saturday morning, although it gets a bit crowded when almost all students from all schools in Singapore gather there for cross-country runing and canoeing training, but the vibrant sporting scence make a person feel good about being part of the tribe that embrace healthy and fesh-air living.



and hundred of JC students doing their cannoeing ECA...dotted the entire wate surface of Macritchie.....what a sporting scence!!




Lower Pierce reservoir board-walk is as nice albiet too short.





Not to forget the southern-bridges.


These places are realy a gem and gift for us Singapore. In no time, we could walk around the entire Singapore making ourselve healthier and at the same time discover many nature beauties along the way.

被拒绝

Thank you for writing in. We appreciate the time and thought you've invested in being part of Forum.
We regret that due to space constraints, we are unable to publish your letter, in this instance. We look forward to your future contributions. Best wishes,
Yap Koon Hong
Forum editor
The Straits Times
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Since the letter was reject, might well publish here myself. Guess is due to mentioning of minister name.

The frustration here is until now, the NEA still not explianing the criteria for the various grading but only saying A is above 85%,etc. who case about 85% or 70%? what people need to know is for e.g. for C scoring 50 to 60 marks it mean that say the stall does not meet the 50 inspection item/obervation of say Never wash refrigerator regularly, Didnot wash hand after toilet etc. In this way, people will be able to decide if they should buy from a C stall. i hope eventually NEA will explain the full detail.
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Three lives (including the miscarriage) in the contaminated Indian Rojak case were lost. As a quality assurance professional, I hope to offer some suggestions regarding the policy and the important execution part.
1. Revamp the Stall grading system. Like a Zaobao columnist wrote, the grading is in-effective and people not taken seriously. Instead, coffee shop jokes about “A” being Aye Sai Chiak – Can eat, “B” is Buay Sai Chiak –Cannot eat. I would like to add C is for Chiak liao Si-Eat and die. Joke aside, I urge NEA to explain the real meaning of the grading to the public. If in the Geylang Serai Indian rojak stall was graded C recently but its food still kill people, should we not scrap C? Allow only “A” (and A*) like what Mr Kaw order all the hospital stalls to have? I also took this opportunity to urge him to exercise his authority as a Health Minister for Singapore, to help all Singaporean have hygiene food, not just those who work at or visit the hospital.2. The poison food can be the result of human and environmental issue introduced into Raw Ingredient supply (one chain), the storage (the 2nd chain), the preparation process (the 3rd, etc), the cooking, the serving and finally the consumption. The entire food chain needs to be controlled. Contamination could be introduced by human, equipments, and rats, flies, and cockroaches from neighbouring stalls. Worst still, it may come from the raw food from the wet market carry by these creatures. Hence, the point here is to look at the whole environment and not just a microscopic view of the stall. Redesign to separate the existing integrated wet market/hawker center, and build them separately from each other in the future. Also, introduce an overall grading for the centre. With this, the peer pressure is there for the stall to own the shared responsibility to make better grading. The above are policy, let not forget the execution and enforcement part, like many forum writers suggested, NEA should formulate an effective policy to make it a serious business for the stalls and center about the grading, for example, rental rebate as reward and license suspension as deterrent, etc. Hope 3 lost lives is enough for various government agencies in charge to take it seriously and work together to ensure policy and corrective actions are put in place

有空来看看

There are many thoughts that come and go in our life. After reading a good book, read a newspaper atricle, witnessing an event, own life experience, etc. I hope I could use my blog to record all these and better still share with other and having thier sharing as well.

相信每个人的心灵都有一种与外界沟通的渴望。有些通过文章，书本，演艺，或和别人倾谈抒发自己内心的思想。有的采取自言自语，或在内心和自己通话，或对着月亮，蓝天白云，黄昏的晚霞，清晨的日出，默默的抒发。又或者有些人选择和上帝倾述。总之，每个人都希望有人会听到自己，更好的是还能产生共鸣，希望。。。。期待。。