Friday, December 29, 2006
Virtual reality
Good morning,
Reality is as it manifests itself !
Virtual reality may be just an oxymoron, a contradictory expressive phrase, but it does highlight the haziness of our perceptions; as often things are not really real, so to say.
About a decade ago, many people who own a house and some company shares see themselves as very rich, even multi-millionaires, because their properties were valued as much. Then came the regional financial crisis, and like a lightning signal from heaven, almost everybody started to cash in on what they owned and discovered to their sorrow that their properties were not worth that much, and that their millionaire status was only a virtual one. Everyone lost his financial loftiness even when he owns the same properties before and after the crisis.
How are neighbours looked upon by others, generally normal ordinary people. But when one of the family members became distinguished, a member of parliament or a minister or some other big shot, suddenly all the other family members became elevated too; they were the same people, everything about them the same.
Virtual reality can help a community turn itself around. Day in day out the people are about the same, and their status as they see each other, no higher no lower. But if they started to see the better sides of each other, immediately they became better people, and the community a better one. The reverse is also valid when they see the worst of each other, they see themselves as a lousy community, remaining as such.
You see me no up and I see you no up and we are all lousy. You value me and I value you and we all have value added. I say you are good and you say the same about me, and we are good people. You see my shares valuable and I see yours valuable and we are all richer. Ha ha ha ha ha ! but that is the reality, which is that we are all presently becoming richer in tandem with the rising stock exchange indices without owning anything more, a virtual fact.
A community builds itself on strength to strength and excels. Every body has his strengths and weaknesses, he becomes what he indulges in. And we are what we see ourselves.
Have a nice day,
Ronald
Reality is as it manifests itself !
Virtual reality may be just an oxymoron, a contradictory expressive phrase, but it does highlight the haziness of our perceptions; as often things are not really real, so to say.
About a decade ago, many people who own a house and some company shares see themselves as very rich, even multi-millionaires, because their properties were valued as much. Then came the regional financial crisis, and like a lightning signal from heaven, almost everybody started to cash in on what they owned and discovered to their sorrow that their properties were not worth that much, and that their millionaire status was only a virtual one. Everyone lost his financial loftiness even when he owns the same properties before and after the crisis.
How are neighbours looked upon by others, generally normal ordinary people. But when one of the family members became distinguished, a member of parliament or a minister or some other big shot, suddenly all the other family members became elevated too; they were the same people, everything about them the same.
Virtual reality can help a community turn itself around. Day in day out the people are about the same, and their status as they see each other, no higher no lower. But if they started to see the better sides of each other, immediately they became better people, and the community a better one. The reverse is also valid when they see the worst of each other, they see themselves as a lousy community, remaining as such.
You see me no up and I see you no up and we are all lousy. You value me and I value you and we all have value added. I say you are good and you say the same about me, and we are good people. You see my shares valuable and I see yours valuable and we are all richer. Ha ha ha ha ha ! but that is the reality, which is that we are all presently becoming richer in tandem with the rising stock exchange indices without owning anything more, a virtual fact.
A community builds itself on strength to strength and excels. Every body has his strengths and weaknesses, he becomes what he indulges in. And we are what we see ourselves.
Have a nice day,
Ronald
Monday, December 25, 2006
Gentle touch
Hi,
Trying out the gentle touch approach to a problem.
House renovation can be a real headache, for the neighbours also. It was only eight o'clock in the morning. The loud drilling from the adjacent house awoke all of us. There had been on and off drilling for many days at odd times during the day, but this one was really upsetting, not being able to catch up with sleep in the morning also. So for effect, immediately I dialled the project supervisor as stated in the builder's letter to the residents around.
A sleepy voice answered, "Hello ?"
I said slowly, "I am sorry if I have woken you up from your sleep so early."
"Oh, okay, what can I do for you ?"
"Oh, I just want to let you know that your workers started drilling a while ago," I spoke slowly, taking my time, giving him time to realize my intention.
Just as I completed my sentence he responded, "Oh, I am sorry, this must not happen again, not before ten o'clock; will that be alright ?"
"That will be fine, thank you very much."
So, there was no further drilling in the early morning; at least if we cannot rest in the day we can rest till late morning. That was about a couple of months ago, and it was fine indeed after that. But for several nights past, there was loud radio music and talk through the night. It was not loud when I went to sleep, but in the early hours it was really loud. This was disturbing; unable to sleep was always upsetting. It was the workers sleeping temporarily in the messy house under renovation.
I had to think of a way and do it nicely and well again. I went to see them early after dinner. "Hello, this for you for Christmas," I said friendlily, offering them a packet of biscuits.
One of them was cutting vegetables for dinner, so another accepted my gift and thank me. "Good Christmas," he said. There were four of them, all sitting and chatting while one worked.
As pleasant as I could I said, "At night you all don't sleep, yes ?"
Another replied, "After this we sleep" pointing to the kitchen work.
Lingering, I said, "How you sleep, your radio, two o'clock, at night, very loud", very slowly.
I guessed they were Bangladeshis, Sri Lankans or Indians, and do not speak much English; they sort of waggled their heads, smiling and friendly.
So I continued, "You do not sleep or do you sleep with your radio on, very loud", saying it slowly, letting my words sink in.
"Okay, no more radio", one said; the others waggled their heads, like they always do when they accept or do not disagree. They were very friendly.
"Radio OK, but not very loud. Thank you, good night", I smiled and left. I felt confident about the expected results.
And there was peace in the night till now, hopefully always hereafter.
Have a nice day
Ronald
Trying out the gentle touch approach to a problem.
House renovation can be a real headache, for the neighbours also. It was only eight o'clock in the morning. The loud drilling from the adjacent house awoke all of us. There had been on and off drilling for many days at odd times during the day, but this one was really upsetting, not being able to catch up with sleep in the morning also. So for effect, immediately I dialled the project supervisor as stated in the builder's letter to the residents around.
A sleepy voice answered, "Hello ?"
I said slowly, "I am sorry if I have woken you up from your sleep so early."
"Oh, okay, what can I do for you ?"
"Oh, I just want to let you know that your workers started drilling a while ago," I spoke slowly, taking my time, giving him time to realize my intention.
Just as I completed my sentence he responded, "Oh, I am sorry, this must not happen again, not before ten o'clock; will that be alright ?"
"That will be fine, thank you very much."
So, there was no further drilling in the early morning; at least if we cannot rest in the day we can rest till late morning. That was about a couple of months ago, and it was fine indeed after that. But for several nights past, there was loud radio music and talk through the night. It was not loud when I went to sleep, but in the early hours it was really loud. This was disturbing; unable to sleep was always upsetting. It was the workers sleeping temporarily in the messy house under renovation.
I had to think of a way and do it nicely and well again. I went to see them early after dinner. "Hello, this for you for Christmas," I said friendlily, offering them a packet of biscuits.
One of them was cutting vegetables for dinner, so another accepted my gift and thank me. "Good Christmas," he said. There were four of them, all sitting and chatting while one worked.
As pleasant as I could I said, "At night you all don't sleep, yes ?"
Another replied, "After this we sleep" pointing to the kitchen work.
Lingering, I said, "How you sleep, your radio, two o'clock, at night, very loud", very slowly.
I guessed they were Bangladeshis, Sri Lankans or Indians, and do not speak much English; they sort of waggled their heads, smiling and friendly.
So I continued, "You do not sleep or do you sleep with your radio on, very loud", saying it slowly, letting my words sink in.
"Okay, no more radio", one said; the others waggled their heads, like they always do when they accept or do not disagree. They were very friendly.
"Radio OK, but not very loud. Thank you, good night", I smiled and left. I felt confident about the expected results.
And there was peace in the night till now, hopefully always hereafter.
Have a nice day
Ronald
Saturday, December 23, 2006
It is wise to be wary of mistakes,
but to do nothing
lest one may make a mistake
is itself a mistake.
but to do nothing
lest one may make a mistake
is itself a mistake.
Friday, December 22, 2006
"The brave may not live forever
But the cautious do not live at all !"
But the cautious do not live at all !"
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Herb or weed
Hi,
Mai chusi chouh, ai chusi louh.
This Teochew dialect phrase says do not want it it is weed, want it it is herb. It is unlikely that any gardener does not know what weed is. It is any type of small plants that hang around the flower pots or in a garden patch, some vegetation which is unwelcome and to be got rid of so that there is room only for the plants that are being tended.
There is one weed about two hands tall, succulent and tender looking. Its leaves are about an inch in size and shaped like the heart, and it resembles the spinach albeit smaller in size. It looks good to eat, like a vegetable, but who dares to, no one has expressed any thing about its edibility. So even a lackadaisical gardener like me tried my best to exterminate its presence. This is not easy because it grows easily, even at the base of flower pots on its own; it also multiplies very readily, from its seeds.
Well, it is a weed !
Then there was an article about the usefulness of this weed written by a Chinese nun in a Chinese magazine. An elderly woman tried out its efficacy; and to her jubilation her eyesight improved and cleared, the cataract in her eyes disappeared.
Was it a miracle or was it that this weed really works wonders ? In the first place the nun had said that it does, so believe it or not ?!
There was another old woman who tried it and her eyesight improved slightly because she ran out of the weed. She needs more of this herb to continue her treatment. Thus, the saying manifest its veracity, mai chusi chouh, ai chusi louh. But now, where would I find this herb; I had spent time annihilating it.
Well, weed being weed, it is always around. And like what my neighbour said in Hokkien, "See peh choi, mung boi liau ", meaning die father plenty or superlatively plenty, cannot weed them all. True to what he said, I found some tiny ones that were just showing their first two leaves within some of my pots. And as anyone can understand now, these are no longer weeds, they are herbs; and I am now nurturing them in a special area, for this old woman.
Weeds remain weeds until one knows their worth.
Have a nice day,
Ronald
Mai chusi chouh, ai chusi louh.
This Teochew dialect phrase says do not want it it is weed, want it it is herb. It is unlikely that any gardener does not know what weed is. It is any type of small plants that hang around the flower pots or in a garden patch, some vegetation which is unwelcome and to be got rid of so that there is room only for the plants that are being tended.
There is one weed about two hands tall, succulent and tender looking. Its leaves are about an inch in size and shaped like the heart, and it resembles the spinach albeit smaller in size. It looks good to eat, like a vegetable, but who dares to, no one has expressed any thing about its edibility. So even a lackadaisical gardener like me tried my best to exterminate its presence. This is not easy because it grows easily, even at the base of flower pots on its own; it also multiplies very readily, from its seeds.
Well, it is a weed !
Then there was an article about the usefulness of this weed written by a Chinese nun in a Chinese magazine. An elderly woman tried out its efficacy; and to her jubilation her eyesight improved and cleared, the cataract in her eyes disappeared.
Was it a miracle or was it that this weed really works wonders ? In the first place the nun had said that it does, so believe it or not ?!
There was another old woman who tried it and her eyesight improved slightly because she ran out of the weed. She needs more of this herb to continue her treatment. Thus, the saying manifest its veracity, mai chusi chouh, ai chusi louh. But now, where would I find this herb; I had spent time annihilating it.
Well, weed being weed, it is always around. And like what my neighbour said in Hokkien, "See peh choi, mung boi liau ", meaning die father plenty or superlatively plenty, cannot weed them all. True to what he said, I found some tiny ones that were just showing their first two leaves within some of my pots. And as anyone can understand now, these are no longer weeds, they are herbs; and I am now nurturing them in a special area, for this old woman.
Weeds remain weeds until one knows their worth.
Have a nice day,
Ronald
Monday, December 18, 2006
Forbearance
Hello,
When kids deface our house walls.
When mischievous kids deface our house walls what do we do; what is our usual response ? Scold them or smile at them, confront their parents, do the same to their house, inform the police or take legal action against them ? In other words, how should we deal with the problem ?
There were once two naughty boys who ran out of ways to appease their restless spirits. And because they had no birds to target at they rained their shots against the end wall of a row of terraced houses. They did not used stones or pebbles; they used a kind of unripe fruit. There was a fruit called buah lukan in Bahasa Melayu, a sour and acerbic fruit shaped like the grape and about that size; unpleasant to eat even when it was ripe. This fruit was very fitting and suitable for use with the catapult.
What these two boys did was to shoot at this wall and draw a picture of a bird with the stains of the fruit juice. Their skill was not very good and at the end of the session there were clear wet spots all over the wall. The owner did not know about it, but when he did, the sight that met his eyes was very likely to enrage even the mildest of temperament. The whole wall was covered with spattered dark brown spots, this resulted when the fruit juice dried, indelible and permanent. But the owner did not raise a raucous nor make a noise about it. Quietly he repainted the wall, and that was the end of the matter.
Somehow, some boys could not see the seriousness of their mischief. Some days later they repeated their target practice. It was hard to understand, but they really messed up the newly repainted wall again. One would not be wrong to think that they were inviting trouble.
But there was no trouble. The owner simply repainted the wall again. He did not say anything at all about the whole matter. He simply repaired the damage. Some may say that he had great forbearance, while others can say that he could not know the culprits.
But this man really knew something that many wise men did not. Because his wall remained clean after that. And there was no unpleasantness nor scar, or strained relationship or enmity with his neighbours or the kids; and there was peace, just as normal. What a really novel price for peace, enduring peace !
Understanding and forbearance are great attributes for peace.
Have a nice day,
Ronald
When kids deface our house walls.
When mischievous kids deface our house walls what do we do; what is our usual response ? Scold them or smile at them, confront their parents, do the same to their house, inform the police or take legal action against them ? In other words, how should we deal with the problem ?
There were once two naughty boys who ran out of ways to appease their restless spirits. And because they had no birds to target at they rained their shots against the end wall of a row of terraced houses. They did not used stones or pebbles; they used a kind of unripe fruit. There was a fruit called buah lukan in Bahasa Melayu, a sour and acerbic fruit shaped like the grape and about that size; unpleasant to eat even when it was ripe. This fruit was very fitting and suitable for use with the catapult.
What these two boys did was to shoot at this wall and draw a picture of a bird with the stains of the fruit juice. Their skill was not very good and at the end of the session there were clear wet spots all over the wall. The owner did not know about it, but when he did, the sight that met his eyes was very likely to enrage even the mildest of temperament. The whole wall was covered with spattered dark brown spots, this resulted when the fruit juice dried, indelible and permanent. But the owner did not raise a raucous nor make a noise about it. Quietly he repainted the wall, and that was the end of the matter.
Somehow, some boys could not see the seriousness of their mischief. Some days later they repeated their target practice. It was hard to understand, but they really messed up the newly repainted wall again. One would not be wrong to think that they were inviting trouble.
But there was no trouble. The owner simply repainted the wall again. He did not say anything at all about the whole matter. He simply repaired the damage. Some may say that he had great forbearance, while others can say that he could not know the culprits.
But this man really knew something that many wise men did not. Because his wall remained clean after that. And there was no unpleasantness nor scar, or strained relationship or enmity with his neighbours or the kids; and there was peace, just as normal. What a really novel price for peace, enduring peace !
Understanding and forbearance are great attributes for peace.
Have a nice day,
Ronald
Thursday, December 14, 2006
How can one get four suits for a dollar?
Just buy a deck of cards.
Just buy a deck of cards.
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Motor cyclists
Good morning,
Are motor cyclists adequately trained and tested ?
A recent news report stated that there were eighty one serious accidents involving motor cyclists in the past ten months, a big increase over the same period past. This rising rate of increase involving motor cyclists is an indication that the problem has not being dealt with effectively ?
One wonders whether the motor cyclists had been adequately trained and well tested for their licence in the first place. Observations by fellow road users tell that most motor cyclists' behaviour did not reflect that their skill level and road sense are comprehensive enough. If they were why do they ride on the lane division lines instead of in the lanes. Riding along the lines make the motor cyclists very vulnerable, the lines are not the carriageways, they are the partition indicators !
The motor cyclists should ride only in the center of the lane like all other vehicle users; when they do this others will have to keep their distance and not come too close beside them. A car's width is at least six feet including the side mirrors; a motor cyclist occupies about three feet width; so how much space is there between the car and the motor cyclist when they are abreast ? Even if the lane is ten feet wide, that leaves only six inches on either side of him to manoeuvre ! What dare-devilry for him to do so, and inconsideration for others to pass him thus !
Look at a situation at a road junction; the motor cyclists are usually between the lanes beside the other vehicles. When the light changes, what happens. If the other vehicles do not let them move off first, a collision is very likely to occur, the motor cyclists cannot be very steady when they start to move, they usually wobble a bit.
Why do motor cyclists cycle along the lane dividers ? Are they trained that way ? If not, why do they do so ? Had their licence test taken that into consideration ? They are courting accidents when they ride that way !
Stating statistics and taking appropriate action, when will these come together ?
Have a nice day
Ronald
Are motor cyclists adequately trained and tested ?
A recent news report stated that there were eighty one serious accidents involving motor cyclists in the past ten months, a big increase over the same period past. This rising rate of increase involving motor cyclists is an indication that the problem has not being dealt with effectively ?
One wonders whether the motor cyclists had been adequately trained and well tested for their licence in the first place. Observations by fellow road users tell that most motor cyclists' behaviour did not reflect that their skill level and road sense are comprehensive enough. If they were why do they ride on the lane division lines instead of in the lanes. Riding along the lines make the motor cyclists very vulnerable, the lines are not the carriageways, they are the partition indicators !
The motor cyclists should ride only in the center of the lane like all other vehicle users; when they do this others will have to keep their distance and not come too close beside them. A car's width is at least six feet including the side mirrors; a motor cyclist occupies about three feet width; so how much space is there between the car and the motor cyclist when they are abreast ? Even if the lane is ten feet wide, that leaves only six inches on either side of him to manoeuvre ! What dare-devilry for him to do so, and inconsideration for others to pass him thus !
Look at a situation at a road junction; the motor cyclists are usually between the lanes beside the other vehicles. When the light changes, what happens. If the other vehicles do not let them move off first, a collision is very likely to occur, the motor cyclists cannot be very steady when they start to move, they usually wobble a bit.
Why do motor cyclists cycle along the lane dividers ? Are they trained that way ? If not, why do they do so ? Had their licence test taken that into consideration ? They are courting accidents when they ride that way !
Stating statistics and taking appropriate action, when will these come together ?
Have a nice day
Ronald
Sunday, December 10, 2006
The parable of the sower
Hi,
Why Jesus taught in parables.
When a large crowd gathered, with people from one town after another journeying to him, Jesus spoke in a parable.
"A sower went out to sow his seed.
"And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path and was trampled, and the birds of the sky ate it up.
" Some seed fell on rocky ground, and when it grew, it withered for lack of moisture.
"Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it.
"And some seed fell on good soil, and when it grew, it produced fruit a hundredfold."
When his disciples asked him what the meaning of this parable might be Jesus explained as follows,
" The seed is the word of God.
"Those on the path are the ones who have heard, but the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts that they may not believe and be saved.
" Those on rocky ground are the ones who, when they hear, receive the word with joy, but they have no root; they believe only for a time and fall away in time of trial.
" As for the seed that fell among thorns, they are the ones who have heard, but as they go along, they are choked by the anxieties and riches and pleasures of life, and they fail to produce mature fruit.
"But as for the seed that fell on rich soil, they are the ones who, when they have heard the word, embrace it with a generous and good heart, and bear fruit through perseverance.
Have a nice day
Ronald
Why Jesus taught in parables.
When a large crowd gathered, with people from one town after another journeying to him, Jesus spoke in a parable.
"A sower went out to sow his seed.
"And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path and was trampled, and the birds of the sky ate it up.
" Some seed fell on rocky ground, and when it grew, it withered for lack of moisture.
"Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it.
"And some seed fell on good soil, and when it grew, it produced fruit a hundredfold."
When his disciples asked him what the meaning of this parable might be Jesus explained as follows,
" The seed is the word of God.
"Those on the path are the ones who have heard, but the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts that they may not believe and be saved.
" Those on rocky ground are the ones who, when they hear, receive the word with joy, but they have no root; they believe only for a time and fall away in time of trial.
" As for the seed that fell among thorns, they are the ones who have heard, but as they go along, they are choked by the anxieties and riches and pleasures of life, and they fail to produce mature fruit.
"But as for the seed that fell on rich soil, they are the ones who, when they have heard the word, embrace it with a generous and good heart, and bear fruit through perseverance.
Have a nice day
Ronald
Thursday, December 07, 2006
Sharing
Hi,
Halving and doubling ..... ?
"What are you doing ?"
"I am eating my favourite cookies"
"Can I have some ?"
"Yes, but not too much !"
So the little girl went close, sat and shared the little boy's cookies.
Familiar with a story like this ? Those who are not were probably born much later than those who are and who can boldly tell me to the face that I am a copycat or I am plagiarizing, because a scene like this is similar to that of a Ribena advertisement on national TV many years ago.
Sharing is a win-win activity. A person who shares has at least one friend, or at worst one companion. Someone once said that sharing misery halves the sorrow, and sharing happiness doubles the joy. That these have been readily accepted happens all the time in life.
When people gather readily from far and near at wakes to pay respects to the deceased, they also comfort the bereaved and contribute to lighten the burden. They share in the loss and in everything that has to be performed. They also do this in other circumstance of misfortunes.
When people are happy they invite others to join in the occasions and the celebrations . Witness the scene at the anniversary of births and at weddings, so joyous and glorious. Guests must come; failure to do so will face unpleasant consequences. Happiness and joy are not just doubled, they are replicated.
A story. It was past midnight. A telephone call from a friend came through a cell phone, and within minutes he was at the gate. In his hand he lugged a big six-pounder angkoli, a pink snapper, the same type of fish served in curry fish head. He held it up to me, "Share in my exhilaration, I caught five of this tonight." He came all the way, straight from the fishing trip, just to share with me his excitement. I lost a little sleep, but I was sure that he lost much more after that, but what a friendship.
Have a nice day,
Ronald
Halving and doubling ..... ?
"What are you doing ?"
"I am eating my favourite cookies"
"Can I have some ?"
"Yes, but not too much !"
So the little girl went close, sat and shared the little boy's cookies.
Familiar with a story like this ? Those who are not were probably born much later than those who are and who can boldly tell me to the face that I am a copycat or I am plagiarizing, because a scene like this is similar to that of a Ribena advertisement on national TV many years ago.
Sharing is a win-win activity. A person who shares has at least one friend, or at worst one companion. Someone once said that sharing misery halves the sorrow, and sharing happiness doubles the joy. That these have been readily accepted happens all the time in life.
When people gather readily from far and near at wakes to pay respects to the deceased, they also comfort the bereaved and contribute to lighten the burden. They share in the loss and in everything that has to be performed. They also do this in other circumstance of misfortunes.
When people are happy they invite others to join in the occasions and the celebrations . Witness the scene at the anniversary of births and at weddings, so joyous and glorious. Guests must come; failure to do so will face unpleasant consequences. Happiness and joy are not just doubled, they are replicated.
A story. It was past midnight. A telephone call from a friend came through a cell phone, and within minutes he was at the gate. In his hand he lugged a big six-pounder angkoli, a pink snapper, the same type of fish served in curry fish head. He held it up to me, "Share in my exhilaration, I caught five of this tonight." He came all the way, straight from the fishing trip, just to share with me his excitement. I lost a little sleep, but I was sure that he lost much more after that, but what a friendship.
Have a nice day,
Ronald
Monday, December 04, 2006
Entrepreneurs
Hi,
The employed unemployed --- entrepreneurs
When people talked about entrepreneurs in Singapore they generally referred to the very successful ones, like Mister Sim Wong Hoo and a few others. They really missed the myriads of others that exist in our country.
An entrepreneur by definition means a person who organizes and manages any enterprise, especially a business, usually with considerable initiative and risk.
Take a walk about any of our HDB , housing and development board, estate shopping centres, but one can never count correctly the number of entrepreneurs that operate there. They are so numerous that even if one uses an adding machine one is unlikely to come out with the exact number.
All each one of them has is a glass showcase and a stool outside a shop fronting the five foot way. His catchy sign says WE PAY THE HIGHEST PRICE. And usually the man sitting there is young, hardly thirty years old if older, sporting the latest hairstyle and wearing a gold chain or a bangle. But he knows his business, he has such innate talents.
By now if one catches on that I am referring to the secondhand hand phone vendors one has hit the nail squarely on the head. With the hand phones obsolescing themselves so rapidly, this business thrives. And with our youngsters being so adapt at using these modern gadgets, it is so easy for these unemployed to just set up a business like that. Take any model of hand phone to them and they will readily quote you the price. And if anyone thinks that they have gasaked or guessed its value, one will be surprised that any other vendor will quote you about the same price. They know all about these phones and their present worth.
I had an old hand-me-down model which was too good to throw away but which nobody wants, in perfect working condition and complete with the accessories. So, one day, while I was about the Toa Payoh Central shopping centre I decided to have fun with it. The first stall man took a look at it and offered me $20. About twenty or thirty paces along another quoted $15. Thereafter it was $15 with just a look. Well, I strolled along, stopped, showed it to each one of them in turn, and heard $15 each time.
I was reflecting that the first man was being kind to me or that he did not know his business. As it was, it was not that I was tired, my hand was tired and I had heard the same $15 too often. I sold it for $15 to this next guy who systematically went through all the various functions of the phone in quick time and okayed the deal, for something still useful yet unwanted and which was environmentally polluting when discarded.
That same model old hand phone was selling for $50, the same price mine would be when it turned around. It did make one vendor happy and I had $15 more to buy VCD movies and saving the environment.
Are these young fellows not entrepreneurs ? If not, how about the mother of all these entrepreneurs, the fellow who gave franchises to all these young fellows or at least showed them the way; there may be one, since they all operate about the same way. It could be any one of us, no ?
Remember Old Fagin in the story Oliver Twist.
Have a nice day
Ronald
The employed unemployed --- entrepreneurs
When people talked about entrepreneurs in Singapore they generally referred to the very successful ones, like Mister Sim Wong Hoo and a few others. They really missed the myriads of others that exist in our country.
An entrepreneur by definition means a person who organizes and manages any enterprise, especially a business, usually with considerable initiative and risk.
Take a walk about any of our HDB , housing and development board, estate shopping centres, but one can never count correctly the number of entrepreneurs that operate there. They are so numerous that even if one uses an adding machine one is unlikely to come out with the exact number.
All each one of them has is a glass showcase and a stool outside a shop fronting the five foot way. His catchy sign says WE PAY THE HIGHEST PRICE. And usually the man sitting there is young, hardly thirty years old if older, sporting the latest hairstyle and wearing a gold chain or a bangle. But he knows his business, he has such innate talents.
By now if one catches on that I am referring to the secondhand hand phone vendors one has hit the nail squarely on the head. With the hand phones obsolescing themselves so rapidly, this business thrives. And with our youngsters being so adapt at using these modern gadgets, it is so easy for these unemployed to just set up a business like that. Take any model of hand phone to them and they will readily quote you the price. And if anyone thinks that they have gasaked or guessed its value, one will be surprised that any other vendor will quote you about the same price. They know all about these phones and their present worth.
I had an old hand-me-down model which was too good to throw away but which nobody wants, in perfect working condition and complete with the accessories. So, one day, while I was about the Toa Payoh Central shopping centre I decided to have fun with it. The first stall man took a look at it and offered me $20. About twenty or thirty paces along another quoted $15. Thereafter it was $15 with just a look. Well, I strolled along, stopped, showed it to each one of them in turn, and heard $15 each time.
I was reflecting that the first man was being kind to me or that he did not know his business. As it was, it was not that I was tired, my hand was tired and I had heard the same $15 too often. I sold it for $15 to this next guy who systematically went through all the various functions of the phone in quick time and okayed the deal, for something still useful yet unwanted and which was environmentally polluting when discarded.
That same model old hand phone was selling for $50, the same price mine would be when it turned around. It did make one vendor happy and I had $15 more to buy VCD movies and saving the environment.
Are these young fellows not entrepreneurs ? If not, how about the mother of all these entrepreneurs, the fellow who gave franchises to all these young fellows or at least showed them the way; there may be one, since they all operate about the same way. It could be any one of us, no ?
Remember Old Fagin in the story Oliver Twist.
Have a nice day
Ronald
Sunday, December 03, 2006
C.S. Lewis said
Christianity, if false, is of no importance,
and if true, of infinite importance.
The only thing it cannot be is moderately important.
and if true, of infinite importance.
The only thing it cannot be is moderately important.
Friday, December 01, 2006
Bird brain
Hi,
A bird has intelligence ?
Common sense, cow sense, pea brain, bird sense, bird brain, with all these assets being named, which would be the best bet to get a hard nut cracked without tools to eat its kernel ? Common sense there is plenty, cow sense ah ha ha what is it, pea brain is too small to function, but bird brain, yes this one does work. And it would be the best bet that a bird brain will crack a hard nut without tools so as to eat its kernel. Seeing is believing and it has been seen !
It has been said that only human beings have intelligence, but a bird brain does seem to have something like that.
There was this crow on a telegraph wire holding a walnut in its beak. It dropped the nut onto the macadam road and watched as the vehicles drove over it. How the crow knew that the nut would be cracked open by the vehicle's wheels who can explain, but that was how the event unfolded. And it was so easy for the crow to swoop down for its meal.
And if anyone says that that was a fluky knowledge there is something else to know. When the traffic was heavy it was quite dangerous for the crow to eat there. But it also had the bird sense to watch out for the traffic, hopping away and coming back, and picked the pieces of the nut. And this bird brain did not stop functioning from just that. It also knew where to drop the nut where it would be safer. It would drop the nut onto a pedestrian crossing and then wait for the traffic to stop while the pedestrians cross and pick its food without danger and at leisure.
It was only a creature with a bird brain, nonetheless it worked ! Perhaps the crow learned all this by observation, but it could make use of it.
There was this story of a man who went to see a soothsayer. The seer predicted that he would not die unless a house fell on his head. Being thus forewarned, the man went to live on the hillside, away from any dwellings. He felt very secured and slept peacefully. But nevertheless he died because a house did fall on his head. An eagle mistook his bald pate for a shiny stone and dropped a tortoise, a creature in its house, onto it.
Ha ha ha ha ! Bird brain human brain, ha ha ha ha !
Have a nice day
Ronald
A bird has intelligence ?
Common sense, cow sense, pea brain, bird sense, bird brain, with all these assets being named, which would be the best bet to get a hard nut cracked without tools to eat its kernel ? Common sense there is plenty, cow sense ah ha ha what is it, pea brain is too small to function, but bird brain, yes this one does work. And it would be the best bet that a bird brain will crack a hard nut without tools so as to eat its kernel. Seeing is believing and it has been seen !
It has been said that only human beings have intelligence, but a bird brain does seem to have something like that.
There was this crow on a telegraph wire holding a walnut in its beak. It dropped the nut onto the macadam road and watched as the vehicles drove over it. How the crow knew that the nut would be cracked open by the vehicle's wheels who can explain, but that was how the event unfolded. And it was so easy for the crow to swoop down for its meal.
And if anyone says that that was a fluky knowledge there is something else to know. When the traffic was heavy it was quite dangerous for the crow to eat there. But it also had the bird sense to watch out for the traffic, hopping away and coming back, and picked the pieces of the nut. And this bird brain did not stop functioning from just that. It also knew where to drop the nut where it would be safer. It would drop the nut onto a pedestrian crossing and then wait for the traffic to stop while the pedestrians cross and pick its food without danger and at leisure.
It was only a creature with a bird brain, nonetheless it worked ! Perhaps the crow learned all this by observation, but it could make use of it.
There was this story of a man who went to see a soothsayer. The seer predicted that he would not die unless a house fell on his head. Being thus forewarned, the man went to live on the hillside, away from any dwellings. He felt very secured and slept peacefully. But nevertheless he died because a house did fall on his head. An eagle mistook his bald pate for a shiny stone and dropped a tortoise, a creature in its house, onto it.
Ha ha ha ha ! Bird brain human brain, ha ha ha ha !
Have a nice day
Ronald
