Strings of life

Not long ago, a friend of mine had asked if he could borrow my violin. Since it is left unattended at home, I thought why not? So I passed him the violin and told him to return it when he does not need it anymore.

Upon returning home, there was a minor argument with my housemate about how I should not have lent my friend the violin. She said it is such an expensive instrument, what if he spoils it? Or what if he does not return it to you? Being a quiet person, I did not really said much for myself. But thought silently, it's strange how I never think of these things whenever somebody asks anything from me. I just give, if it's available for use. To me, it's better to be used than to be left alone. At least there is some productivity, instead of being idle (i.e. the violin).

But obviously different people have different mindsets. I do not know where or how my violin is now, but I never really thought much about it after lending it away, until this morning, my housemate asked why did my friend borrowed it for so long? Again, the matter is brought up. A matter which never bothered me the slightest.

It is just strange, sometimes, I think, for some people to hold on so much to what belongs to them and what does not. What is theirs and what is not. To draw the lines so broadly and holding themselves so tightly, when life indeed, is just a split second of having the chance to give, before it's too late.

It's true isn't it?

Life is not all about who you are.

Or who you want to be.

But who they allow you to be.

Flowers from the garden

I don't know what flower you call this but
I hear it only blossom once or twice a year
These are promegranates (Just like city restaurant eh)
This is yellow flower
This is white, but due to lighting, its orange pink now

P/S: Happy Anzac Day! Another weekend gone...phew.

Easter-ing (Idea fr Desmond)

Hi there. I have no particular reason writing this, but it is Easter break and I have extra time to spare. I particularly think it's somewhat an interesting idea to write down the changes within me during the last 10 years or so. It is 10 years because I can't make a 20 years list. So, here we go.

Basic Consumption
1999: Mostly chicken, fried
2009: Prefer fish, grilled (but fried oyster still old time favorite)

Wisdom Flow
1999: From comics and romantic fictions
2009: From philosophizers and autobiographies

Entertainment Guide
1999: Pinky & the Brain, 三毛
2009: Still like both, but with added Gilmore Girls, NCIS and Reality TV

Magazine Vibes
1999: Lime, Galaxie, Max
2009: Far Eastern Economic Review, China Today, Asian Weekly, Readers Digest

Health Determinants
1999: Swimming and Badminton
2009: Chess, Badminton, Jogging, Monavie and Fish Oils

Techno Junkie
1999: Intel Pentium II, Public phones, TV3 and Pac-Man
2009: Asus P4P800, Nokia 7210, Astro and Nintendo Wii

Musical Tastes and Talents
1999: Piano, Percussion, Backstreet Boys, N Sync, Hanson and Oasis
2009: Piano, Violin, Guitar, Jason Mraz, Jay Chou and David Lanz

Influential Idol
1999: Prince William and Leonardo Dicaprio
2009: Meryl Streep, Ellen DeGeneres, Oprah Winfrey, Barack Obama and Master Chinkung

Fashion Sense
1999: Tops and bottoms below RM50
2009: Tops and bottoms below RM30

I guess that's about all I have for now. Do make your own whenever you have the time. Would love to know more about you! Meantime, have a nice weekend, hope you had a great Easter ;-)

Riddle

What did the tomato blush?

P/S: Happy Eastarrr!

A little bit of wisdom

Thirty spokes share the wheel's hub
It is the center hole that makes it useful
Shape clay into a vessel
It is the space within that makes it useful
Cut doors and windows for a room
It is the holes which make it useful
Therefore profit comes from what is there
Usefulness from what is not there.

Bloody economics ;-)

Hello

Can't sleep tonight, probably because of drinking teh tarik earlier in the evening. Trust that you peeps are all fast asleep right now, its 4.29am for god's sake!

I had a good microecons class yesterday. The lecturer told us, economics is good for the health system. It is one of the easiest subjects in the world, because it is capable of explaining the whole world just by drawing graphs.

He said, and I quote his exact words, "Why do people like to study economics? This is because, people 'like' to be able to explain things objectively and make it sound believable. On top of that, because economics graduates are a dying breed, it is even easier to get job after graduation. Just consider the number of companies and governments in dire need of economists. Better still, now that the world is in a major chaos, even more people are looking to hire more economists, so that eventually more people can draw more graphs to explain the world to them, and help make their system feel better."

He also said, "Politicians, especially, love to hire economists, because it makes them feel smarter. With economics, they will have a proper economic presentation of graphs to explain whenever the public protests on their certain projects. So, eventually, while we are a dying breed, we are actually dominating the world. Just look at the newspaper everyday, heaps and heaps of economic news all over."

"So, now you know why you have chosen to study economics- because it makes your system feel better, and you feel you are smarter, because you are able to explain the world in a few graphs and draw some abstract pictures and manipulate some figures. And it is widely acknowledged, that economists are highly paid around the world due to this very fact."

Everybody laughed after he said that in class. I thought he's one heck of a cool lecturer! It is somehow quite true now that I think of what he said, although I still reserve a humane reason until now, why I study economics - so I can probably help make the world a better place one day. But that doesn't make his explanation unviable. LOL.

And after class, I thought, hmm....that's probably why he is an economics lecturer. So he can feel even smarter than anyone else in the world!!!~