"The first is the recognition that the great mystery is not death but birth, not that someone loved is now gone but that the person was here at all. The great gift is life and loving and being loved in return. In this way love is stronger than death."
- Arthur Dobrin in "Grief Feels Like You're Going Crazy"
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Sunday, July 17, 2011
What happens when you let go?
She was walking past the throngs of people in the cafeteria when she saw him, face bright with laughter and smile and indifference.
She had stopped by to get dinner after a satisfying run. It had been a busy week. She hadn't been home earlier than 9 o'clock in the evening in the past 5 days, and she had just got home after a day trip down south for a consultation session with one of her project stakeholders. She was looking forward for a quiet evening with no disruption to her daily routine life.
She was upset with him, and was intent to avoid him at all cost. Throughout the week she has been berating herself for bringing such disappointment unto her own life when she knows fully well her own folly and misgivings.
She hates to make mistakes, but she keeps repeating them.
"You're just as hard on yourself as you are on others." She had heard the line in a movie somewhere, and she felt for the subject of such comment, because she understood what it feels like to have such urge for perfection hovering over her since forever.
She was walking past the throngs of people in the cafeteria when she saw him, face bright with laughter and smile and indifference, and her world stood stock-still.
She had stopped by to get dinner after a satisfying run. It had been a busy week. She hadn't been home earlier than 9 o'clock in the evening in the past 5 days, and she had just got home after a day trip down south for a consultation session with one of her project stakeholders. She was looking forward for a quiet evening with no disruption to her daily routine life.
She was upset with him, and was intent to avoid him at all cost. Throughout the week she has been berating herself for bringing such disappointment unto her own life when she knows fully well her own folly and misgivings.
She hates to make mistakes, but she keeps repeating them.
"You're just as hard on yourself as you are on others." She had heard the line in a movie somewhere, and she felt for the subject of such comment, because she understood what it feels like to have such urge for perfection hovering over her since forever.
She was walking past the throngs of people in the cafeteria when she saw him, face bright with laughter and smile and indifference, and her world stood stock-still.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Where are the young?
Here's a situation:
Rural communities in Cambodia rely on charcoal production as one of their sources for income. The process technology is inefficient, the only wood they get from is through illegal logging, and due to the inefficient production process, the profit margin is small - even though charcoal production contributes to more than 50% of the community's income.
Then comes GERES (Groupe Energies Renouvelables, Environnement et Solidarités) - who introduced and built the Yoshimura kiln for the Cambodian rural households, managed to increase the production efficiency to 30% (less wood is used to produce the same amount of charcoal) and to improve and further standardize the charcoal products to be sold at premium (and higher) price.
Additionally, Yoshimura kiln generates wood vinegar as by-products of the charcoal production process, which can be sold at the supermarket for cooking and agriculture purposes.
From an individually manipulative and environmentally degrading process, the project turn around what is a major economic activity of the Cambodian rural community into a social enterprise project.
I learned about the project from a training organised by the Italian Trade Commission, the presenter was a young man, perhaps no more 5 years older than myself. His presentation was enthusiastically received, and as I was sitting there, listening to his interactive debate with the audience, I looked around and saw among other, palm oil veterans and university professors, I thought to myself; where are the young?
Where are our young?
Rural communities in Cambodia rely on charcoal production as one of their sources for income. The process technology is inefficient, the only wood they get from is through illegal logging, and due to the inefficient production process, the profit margin is small - even though charcoal production contributes to more than 50% of the community's income.
Then comes GERES (Groupe Energies Renouvelables, Environnement et Solidarités) - who introduced and built the Yoshimura kiln for the Cambodian rural households, managed to increase the production efficiency to 30% (less wood is used to produce the same amount of charcoal) and to improve and further standardize the charcoal products to be sold at premium (and higher) price.
Additionally, Yoshimura kiln generates wood vinegar as by-products of the charcoal production process, which can be sold at the supermarket for cooking and agriculture purposes.
From an individually manipulative and environmentally degrading process, the project turn around what is a major economic activity of the Cambodian rural community into a social enterprise project.
I learned about the project from a training organised by the Italian Trade Commission, the presenter was a young man, perhaps no more 5 years older than myself. His presentation was enthusiastically received, and as I was sitting there, listening to his interactive debate with the audience, I looked around and saw among other, palm oil veterans and university professors, I thought to myself; where are the young?
Where are our young?
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Harvesting basil
I am turning my fingers green. Bought a small basil plant last week and every day now when I wake up I leap out of bed to see if the plant is still alive.
Been experimenting with watering and mulching the soil, and thanks to the much-needed guidance from Google, the plant is still alive and sprouting new buds. Yesterday with much excitement I harvested some of the leaves to make baked pasta with mozarella.
The recipe to serve 2;
Preheat oven. Chop half of a white onion with two garlic and a chilli, sautee in olive oil. Put in some salt and pepper to taste, and pour in a can of plum tomato (chopped finely, crushed or blended). Tear in the basil leaves and let the sauce simmer. Cook pasta accordingly and toss with the sauce when done. Layer the pasta with Parmesan and mozzarella cheese and pop into the oven to cook until the cheese is golden and yummy.
A quick and simple recipe, and a good attempt for those who are trying to go vegetarian in their meals because the mozzarella cheese definitely provides the wholesome and proteinaceous quality of meat.
For varieties, the baked pasta can be decoratively (and nutritiously) added with zucchini or eggplant, roasted on stove with olive oil with a dash of salt and pepper.
Been experimenting with watering and mulching the soil, and thanks to the much-needed guidance from Google, the plant is still alive and sprouting new buds. Yesterday with much excitement I harvested some of the leaves to make baked pasta with mozarella.
The recipe to serve 2;
Preheat oven. Chop half of a white onion with two garlic and a chilli, sautee in olive oil. Put in some salt and pepper to taste, and pour in a can of plum tomato (chopped finely, crushed or blended). Tear in the basil leaves and let the sauce simmer. Cook pasta accordingly and toss with the sauce when done. Layer the pasta with Parmesan and mozzarella cheese and pop into the oven to cook until the cheese is golden and yummy.
A quick and simple recipe, and a good attempt for those who are trying to go vegetarian in their meals because the mozzarella cheese definitely provides the wholesome and proteinaceous quality of meat.
For varieties, the baked pasta can be decoratively (and nutritiously) added with zucchini or eggplant, roasted on stove with olive oil with a dash of salt and pepper.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Learning to live without
Umair Haque says 'the "best" investment you can make isn't gold. It's the people you love, the dreams you have, and living a life that matters'.
Does it sounds simple and a tad too idealistic? Perhaps, but the truth is too often glaring and obvious we overlook them for something more - bigger, better, and bolder.
Sometimes in the office I was thrown with questions like, 'would you like to buy a discounted Coach or LV handbags?', or 'did you see the Maurice Lacroix watch we passed by the other day? Do you remember how much did it cost?', and they exhaust me. Sometimes people will ask, 'wouldn't you like to apply for the Government jobs? Or with any other big firms? They would pay you better, they offer more benefits, they are more stable', and I get tongue-tied.
How do I explain to people, and to help them understand; I neither care nor wish for these things?
It is true, money has afforded me the liberty and independence to take control of my own life, and given my growing interest in personal finance - I would be lying to say I do not care about money. However, getting (dollar) rich, collecting expensive designer (junk), or living a luxurious life (at the expense of other people's survival) are not my life's goals.
'Craft your own recipes of eudaimonic wealth - riches that are made up of the stuff you probably can't buy, but have to earn: the stuff that people usually don't (and probably won't) sell, but can choose to freely bestow upon you, give to you, and keep in trust for you.'
Does it sounds simple and a tad too idealistic? Perhaps, but the truth is too often glaring and obvious we overlook them for something more - bigger, better, and bolder.
Sometimes in the office I was thrown with questions like, 'would you like to buy a discounted Coach or LV handbags?', or 'did you see the Maurice Lacroix watch we passed by the other day? Do you remember how much did it cost?', and they exhaust me. Sometimes people will ask, 'wouldn't you like to apply for the Government jobs? Or with any other big firms? They would pay you better, they offer more benefits, they are more stable', and I get tongue-tied.
How do I explain to people, and to help them understand; I neither care nor wish for these things?
It is true, money has afforded me the liberty and independence to take control of my own life, and given my growing interest in personal finance - I would be lying to say I do not care about money. However, getting (dollar) rich, collecting expensive designer (junk), or living a luxurious life (at the expense of other people's survival) are not my life's goals.
'Craft your own recipes of eudaimonic wealth - riches that are made up of the stuff you probably can't buy, but have to earn: the stuff that people usually don't (and probably won't) sell, but can choose to freely bestow upon you, give to you, and keep in trust for you.'
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