Disconnect To Connect

Of recent, this has been a real concern of mine. Increasingly, people are glued to their smartphones, so much so that they have become oblivious to the world around them. Many have chosen to interact online instead of face-to-face. If this carries on, the human touch will be gone. We will grow in a society where nobody will be watching where they are or who is around them. Kids will grow and parents will not know. Kids will complain and parents will never hear them. Friends will have moved on and none is the wiser.

All too often, when a group of friends are together, when a smartphone is whipped out, the rest follow suit. Very quickly, anyone with a smartphone is engrossed in their own little bubble while those without a smart phone are left angered by the inconsiderate behavior of the rest. This addiction to the smartphones will lead to bigger problems, like losing of friends, if it is not stopped.

Gadget dependency is a larger problem than most people realise. This is because these very people are oblivious to the effects of their gadget usage and behaviour, subconciously or not, and how it influences their psycological, social and emotional well-being.

An advert by a Thailand communications company describes the situation very, very well. Before you lose everyone around you, Disconnect to Connect.

Settler's Cafe Outing

Yeah.....we are heading to Settler's Cafe later. Well, I think the one I went to last time was called Settler's Cafe. Or was it Mind's Cafe. Well, at least I hope that my team can have some nice game time later. I know that some would prefer to chill with booze and loud music. However, it would be nice to depart from that now and then? Afterall, I do enjoy the occasional booze and loud music. Hell, I even used to frequent pubs and watering holes just to go enjoy the live bands. Well, maybe not clubs, not really my kind of place. However, those days are behind me. Or are they? Haha. Anyway, here's to some great fun later!

Old Friend Appears

Damn! It has really been a long time since I last met Damien. 2 years I think. We caught up today at City Hall and went over to Fullerton Hotel to just lounge around. A bottle of red, an order of tapas and we just caught up. The things that has happened since we last met and the shit that both of us has had to endure. At least he is going to be a proud father soon. Really happy for him. Had a short chat with his wife too, who surprisingly still remembers me. Haha. Cass is a really nice lady and Damien is a damn lucky guy. The things that we used to do after school: test driving new cars, going to places to eat, looking for really nice places to chill, steamboat, mahjong. Haha. Man, those were good days. Short but good days.

Slightly Down

To protect oneself,

Some go with the flow.
Some hold back but remain involved.
Some withdraw into themselves.
Some counter the flow.
Some cause hurt to themselves.
Some cause hurt upon others.

In life, these is no rewind button. We cannot just go back to a time that has past. Things happen for a reason. We can only move on from where we are. We can capture and learn some of the past and have it in the present. However, we can't go back.

Reaction & Responses

It is a fact that we all react to life's challenges in different ways.
Nobody is an exception.
Some fight death, and some embrace its solace.
Some recognize their fate
and others do whatever is necessary to alter it.
Sometimes we defy others' expectations,
and, occasionally, we rise to meet them.

But the constant is being true to ourselves.
We do what we have to, when we have to.
We react, for better or worse.
It is why the human race succeeds.
However, we have to be careful for eventually,
it might catch up to us all.

A man walks into a bar and asks the bartender for a glass of water.
The bartender pulls out a shotgun, fires a blast, just missing the man.
Man says "Thank You" puts a tip on the bar and exits.

Why the "Thank You" and the tip?

The guy had the hiccups.

It's all about responses.

Tuition & Emotions

Yes, after so long, I finally agreed to help my student again. He had searched for me to give him help as he has been given the opportunity to take his O Level paper for Science this year even though he is in the Normal (Acad) stream. It is great to work with them again. I miss working with the kids. When things are less complicated.

When one is emotionally invested, one can not think and react rationally. That is why in certain situations, we do not want to work with or on our loved ones. For me......I am feeling very vexed at the moment. I am not believed and I feel sad. I have tried my very best but should have realised that good things don't happen to me. Sigh.

The Importance Of Things

Once a year we celebrate Christmas.
We can get presents everyday but
The present we receive during Christmas is extra special

Once a year we celebrate our Birthday.
We can eat cake everyday but
The piece of cake we enjoy on our Birthday is extra special

Once a year we celebrate Chinese New Year
We can have meals everyday but
The one meal which holds more significance than anything else is the Reunion Dinner on Chinese New Year's eve

For all occasions, it does not matter what we receive, what cake we enjoy or what dishes are on the table. Most importantly, it is who we spend it with.

Photo Collage of NZ Trips

Spent about 8 hours on this collage. I kind of like it myself. Well, when one has no one to go out with, one does stupid things like this. Haha.

Rabbit Year......Time To Bounce

Once upon a time I had 3 rabbits. They were named Orange, Black & White and Ah-Grey respectively. Yes, I was that unimaginative. Black & White and Ah-Grey were local normal breeds, well I did not know what their exact breed is but they were good pets. Orange was the troublesome one. Orange was a French Angora. He always bullied the other 2 and threw tantrums frequently. If he did not get fed or if his cage became too dirty, he will spring into the air, make a full turn while spraying his urine. Of the 3, he too was the only one to bite me. Yes, all 3 rabbits were boys and they engaged in boy-o-boy action everytime they were let out of their cages.

When I later brought Whitey back, she became the only rose among the thorns. Not sure who she did it with but later on when she got pregnant and subsequently gave birth to a litter of grey coloured and white coloured rabbits, it was evident who the dad was. Funny thing though, the kids all prefered to spend time with Uncle Orange instead of with daddy Grey. As the little ones were small enough, the moment they could move on their own, they squeezed through the bars and went over to Uncle Orange. Haha.

Years later, after all the other rabbits have left me, only Orange stayed with me. Maybe since it was just the both of us, he started to tone down. It could also be because of old age. Orange has since left me that fateful day when he slumped next to me after searching for me in my tiny flat. I hope he is happy now, bouncing around in the Great Plains. I do hope that he has found his lady bunny too for I do not think he is the boy-lover kind. Bunny year brings back memories of him. Oh Orange. I miss you.