Wednesday, May 31, 2006

The Definition of Success Continued...

As I was reading the Definition of Success, a couple of lines reminded me of a poem I wrote many years ago and had forgotten about. I dug it out yesterday and thought of posting it here. So here is my first and last attempt at writing a poem. :0)

We all want to do great things in our life time,
To be rich and famous, to stand against crime,
But even if we’re not heros or great leaders when we leave this world
If we could say,
That one person is happier because of us,
Then our life was not just a passing day.
We made someone’s life better, we put a smile on someone’s face
Even if that person wasn’t someone great
It doesn’t really matter
For in their hearts we’d always have a special place.

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Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Life is short…

Just yesterday I got to know that the husband of a neighbour had died in land mine blast at Wilpattu National Wild Park, in Sri Lanka while on a site seeing tour. The full article is here.

He was a writer who had just published his new book which included a lot about the Sri Lankan wild life which he loved. How ironic that he died while on a wild life safari...

I was shocked… I’m not that close to these neighbours but I know that they were a very good religious family.

We went to see them and were told that there’s almost no remains of the body. What do you tell someone who’s husband just passed away? What do you tell someone who’s father just passed away? Do you ask what happened or try to change the subject? As I have been lucky enough not to have lost anyone close to me I’ve always had a problem of knowing what to do or say. So I just go over and stay there letting them know that they’ve got people who care.

If this is what happens when we’re in a Cease Fire Agreement, it makes me wonder what would happen next. This park was closed for a while and then cleared of all mines before opening to the public again.

When this happens to people you know it always makes me stop and think of how uncertain life is, and that we must make the most of it cos we won’t get a second chance at life, when it’s gone it’s gone.

Monday, May 29, 2006

I'm back to 'chirpy me' :0)

I guess sometimes when you're feeling down, it's best to just let yourself be a bit miserable for a while and usually you get back to normal soon enough! :0)

I know all these 'postive thinking' books and people say to 'bare it with a smile' and 'think happy thoughts'. But I think sometimes it's good to let your feelings out as long as you don't stay that way. It's alright not to be Happy all the time. I just learnt this cos until recently I used to always believe that you have to 'bear it all with a smile'. But what happens then is that all these feelings get collected in the subconscious and make you irritable, so there's no real external reason for being short tempered but internally it's a collection of little things. I think that's what happened to me recently.

On a different note, as much as I hate to even think of the possibility of not getting the financial aid I need for Cambridge (cos without the loan or schol I can't afford it), I guess I should start thinking about my backup options. My Fulbright Schol and the ADB schol for Melbourne Uni (though I got into Melbourne MBA program, again I can't afford the whole amount) applications were rejected saying that I don't have enough work experience, so the other MBA I got accepted at is Manitoba, Canada where I got a small schol so the total comes to less than a third of the Cambridge cost. So I finally decided to start my Canadian student VISA application process as the MBA starts mid August, and I don't want to find out in the last moment that I don't have enough time for the VISA. This way what ever happens I'll be ready. :0) (I can't stop dreaming abuot Cambridge though... )

Friday, May 26, 2006

The Definition of Success

I just found this definition of Sucess at Luminus' and thought what a beautiful way of defining success! Thanks Luminus :0)

To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a little better; whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is the meaning of success.

- Dipo Tepede

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Misery Likes Company…

I'm not my ‘chirpy’ self these days. I guess it’s cos of many little things… These days I’ve been having more of those Aaaaaaaaaaaah days…

In addition to not being ‘chirpy’ I find myself being irritable and snapping at innocent bystanders including my family...(this is one of my habits which I hate the most, and am trying really hard to get rid of that)

As the saying goes ‘Misery Likes Company’ and so I am unloading all my burdens on you :0)

First of all work not challenging and that’s seriously starting to get to me, I guess since everyone knows I’ll be leaving in a few months, they don’t want to give me large new projects… but in my opinion, the only thing worse than being overloaded with work is not having enough! Ok I know I must be starting to sound like a workaholic, but the fact is I really need work to be challenging to be motivated. That brings me to my second problem of I’ve lost my motivation at work and I just go through the work mechanically…

The thing that keeps coming back to bug me, is that my future feels like one 'Big Blur' I know I should take it as it comes and not worry and that everything happens for a reason, and the famous advice from Sun Screen about “Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't.”(this is what I keep telling my friends too…) But it can be frustrating sometimes when you don’t know what exactly you want to do with life or what the purpose of my life is…

I guess one of the reasons I decided on the MBA is to broaden my perspective and in the hope that I’ll find myself, during that year on my own… I feel that all my life I’ve been influenced by the people around me, and need to find myself and ‘who I am’… I sometimes even wonder what whether I would still be an engineer if my dad wasn’t a Prof. in engineering himself (to be fair to him though I must say that my parents never forced me, this was what I chose) Would I have still become and ‘engineer’, done ‘arts’ or ‘psychology’ or even gone into ‘performance theatre‘ considering how much I love to be the centre of attraction :0)

Maybe the ‘techie’ in my would have won anyway :0)…Of course I must say that I have no regrets about what I’ve done, and all the experiences that I have been through to get to where I am…

I still haven’t heard a thing from Cambridge about the finances either, so that’s not helping my mood…

So these days my theme song is ‘Had a bad day’…

Where is the moment when needed the most
You kick up the leaves and the magic is lost
They tell me your blue skies fade to grey
They tell me your passion's gone away
And I don't need no carryin' on

You stand in the line just to hit a new low
You're faking a smile with the coffee to go
You tell me your life's been way off line
You're falling to pieces everytime
And I don't need no carryin' on

Cause you had a bad day
You're taking one down
You sing a sad song just to turn it around
You say you don't know
You tell me don't lie
You work at a smile and you go for a ride
You had a bad day
The camera don't lie
You're coming back down and you really don't mind
You had a bad day You had a bad day

Well you need a blue sky holiday
The point is they laugh at what you say
And I don't need no carryin' on

You had a bad day...

Sometimes the system goes on the blink
And the whole thing turns out wrong
You might not make it back and you know
That you could be well oh that strong
And I'm not wrong

So where is the passion when you need it the most
Oh you and I
You kick up the leaves and the magic is lost...


Thanks for listening… :0) Hey Muthulee and Doc if you guys are lurking around, thanks for the long chats :0) I already feel better :0)…

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

Herstory of Huwomanity

Well I was just reading an article on feminism and found that they have actually come up with 'Herstory' instaead of 'History' and 'Huwomanity' instead of 'Humanity' as gender inclusive language! So thought of posting it just to give everyone a good laugh! :0)

Ok, I consider myself a feminist, (Actually I don't like that word, cos it makes me sound like I'm anti-male, which of course I'm not! :0) ) but this gender inclusive language is certainly going overboard! All I want is equal oppotunities, nothing more and nothing less!

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Greek Mythology in Everyday Use

I've always found Greek Mythology really fascinating, so I thought of posting about many words that we use which have Greek or Roman myth origin.

There are some really interesting myths which the Greek used to explain natural phenomena, for example the story of how the peacock got eyes on it's tail. Argus was a monster who was famous in legend for having many eyes. Hera, the Queen of the Olympian gods and goddesses, commanded Argus to watch over Io. Io was a woman with whom Zeus - the ruler of the Olympians - had conducted a passionate love affair. However, in order to protect his mistress from the wrath of his wife, Zeus had transformed Io into a heifer. So Hera, who was quite clever, had Argus guard her rival, the heifer Io. Zeus was not pleased. He sent the god Hermes (son of Zeus) to dispatch the monster. Hermes managed to kill Argus. Hera paid tribute to Argus by placing his eyes into the tail of the peacock, her favorite bird. In this way, Argus was immortalized, his eyes adorning the feathers of Hera's peacock.

The owl has been one of my favourite birds for a long time. Espectially the Wise Owl wearing glasses :0) I think the owl being considered as wise would have come about from the fact that the Owl is the symbol of Athena (Minerva in Roman mythology) Greegoddessss of Wisdom. She had a strange birth. One day, Jupiter King of the gods had a bad headache. Nothing would cure it. Eventually Vulcan (the smith of the gods, who made Jupiter's thunderbolts) split open Jupiter's head. Out jumped Minerva in armour with shield and spear! Jupiter felt much better afterwards.

Most of the phrases that wusees today also have origins in Greek Mythology. I just thought of posting a few here.

Midas touch - an uncanny ability for making money in every venture

Once, Dionysus (God of Wine) found his old school master and foster father, Silenus, missing. The old man had been drinking, and had wandered away drunk, and was found by some peasants, who carried him to their king, Midas (alternatively, he passed out in Midas' rose garden). Midas recognized him, and treated him hospitably, entertaining him for ten days and nights with politeness, while Silenus entertained Midas and his friends with stories and songs. On the eleventh day he brought Silenus back to Dionysus. Dionysus offered Midas his choice of whatever reward he wanted. Midas asked that whatever he might touch should be changed into gold. Dionysus consented, though was sorry that he had not made a better choice. Midas rejoiced in his new power, which he hastened to put to the test. He touched and turned to gold an oak twig and a stone. Overjoyed, as soon as he got home, he ordered the servants to set a feast on the table. Then he found that his bread, meat, daughter and wine turned to gold.
Upset, Midas strove to divest himself of his power, he hated the gift he had coveted. He prayed to Dionysus, begging to be delivered from starvation. Dionysus heard and consented.

Trojan Horse - an apparent advantage that is actually a trick; "Trojan horse" tactics are those considered sneaky, underhand, deceitful. The term "Trojan" is also widely used today to refer to malicious computer software that looks harmless to the user but actually contains a virus.

If you watched the movie Troy, you might remember this picture. The Trojan Horse is part of the myth of the Trojan War, as told in Virgil's Latin epic poem The Aeneid. The Greek siege of Troy had lasted for ten years. The Greeks devised a new plan, a giant hollow wooden horse. It was to be filled with Greek warriors. The rest of the Greek army appeared to leave, but actually hid in Troy.
Meanwhile, a Greek spy, Sinon, convinced the Trojans the horse was a gift and they accepted it. The Trojans hugely celebrated the end of the siege, so that, when the Greeks emerged from the horse, the city was drunk. The Greek warriors opened the city gates to allow the rest of the army to enter, and the city was destroyed. All the Trojan men were killed, and all the women and children were taken into slavery.

Oedepus Complex - a concept developed by Sigmund Freud to explain the origin of certain neuroses in childhood. It is defined as a male child's unconscious desire for the exclusive love of his mother. This desire includes jealousy towards the father and the unconscious wish for that parent's death.

Oedipus son of Laius and Jocasta. At his birth, it was prophesied that he would kill his father. Seeking to avoid such a fate, Laius had the infant's ankles pierced with nails and had him exposed (placed in the wilderness to die). King Polybus and Queen Merope (or Periboea) of Corinth found him and raised him as their own son. Since his feet were swollen when he was found he was called Oedipus meaning "swollen-foot”.
While travelling Oedipus met an unarmed man, riding a chariot, on his own pilgrimage. The man in the chariot demanded that Oedipus stand aside so he could pass. They argued, and Oedipus killed the stranger. The man was King Laius, Oedipus' father.
As he traveled, Oedipus encountered a mystical creature that was terrorizing Thebes. Oedipus saved the city by answering the riddle of the Sphinx ("What walks on four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon, and three legs in the evening?") and was rewarded with the now-vacant throne of Thebes and the widowed queen Jocasta's hand in marriage.
Within a short time, divine signs of misfortune and pollution began to appear in Thebes, which caused the king to seek out their cause. Finally, the seer Teiresias reveals to Oedipus that Oedipus himself was the source of the pollution. Oedipus discovered he was really the son of Laius and Jocasta and that the prophecy had indeed come to pass. Jocasta commits suicide and Oedipus blinds himself by forcing her brooch pins into his eyes.

This legend has inspired several works of art, such as Sophocles' Oedipus trilogy, the so called Three Theban plays (Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus and Antigone)

Monday, May 22, 2006

BLINK – The Power of Thinking without Thinking


Have you ever had one of those moments, when you know something without really knowing why? Sometimes the 1st instance we meet someone we realize this person is honest or dishonest, but later we tell ourselves “Hey that’s not right, how did we say that, maybe our 1st impression was wrong”. The power of that unconscious mind is what Blink is all about.

In Blink, Malcolm Gladwell considers how effective decisions are made. A snap judgment made in the ‘blink of an eye’ says can actually be far more effective than one made deliberately and cautiously. By blocking what is irrelevant and focusing only on the narrow slices of experience, or ‘thin slicing’ we can read a seemingly complex situation in an instant and discover radically new way of understanding the world.

We all do ‘Thin Slicing’ specifically in emergency situations, when we have no time to think. For example if we suddenly see a truck rushing at us, we don’t consciously think about moving away, we just run.

There are many interesting cases that Gladwell describes which show how sometimes that unconscious mind can be manipulated into performing in a particular way. Such an instance is when two Dutch researchers did a study where they had two groups of equally intelligent students answer 42 questions from Trivial Pursuit. Half were asked to take five mins and think about being a professor and the half to think about being soccer hooligans before taking the test.

The ‘Professors’ got an average of 55.6% while the ‘Hooligans’ got an average of 42.6%. The professors were simply in a ‘smart’ frame of mind. So maybe the next time I go into an exam I should go in with a ‘Professor’ frame of mind!

The bad side of this ‘thin slicing is when buried among the things we say we don’t like is a class of products that are in that category only because they are weird. They make us nervous. They are so different that it takes some time to understand that we like them. I guess sometimes we need some extra time to get used to different things, it’s like intertia, you need that extra force to push you out of the “Comfort Zone”.

Though I really enjoyed the book, I was hoping that it would have tips on how we can make that ‘snap judgment’ more accurate. This had many examples of how useful this snap judgment can be, but not much information on how we can use this for everyday life. Ofcourse now when I think of first impressions, I think about them in whole new way.

Friday, May 19, 2006

No Arms, No Legs, No Worries!


I just came across this web site of Nick Vujicic Someone who goes through life with no arms and legs and I just had to stop and think how much I take for granted.

I sometimes complain about the smallest things. Nick's Life story is remarkable if you've got the time, it's a really inspirational read. He now works as a motivational speaker and shares his story and testimony wherever opportunities become available.

The Wedding


Well if anyone missed me yesterday, I was at a friends wedding most of the day. :0)

Had to wear a Saree as it was a traditional wedding. I always try to avoid wearing sarees unless it's absolutely necessary cos I feel like a cripple in an ankle length straight jacket in saree! I just thought of including a picture of a saree for anyone who is not familiar with it.

As in the pic you have to hold one end of the saree making the left arm totally useless. It's one large piece of cloth that has to be draped in a particular way. So you have to stay like a lady in one place. Something I find very difficult to do.(that's not me incase you're wondering! I am paranoid about putting my putting my photo on the internet)

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Blogging Buddies

I just added links to my Blogging Buddies and other links I visit frequently. Hope to meet many more in the blog-o-sphere :0)

Thanks everyone for visiting, don't forget to leave me comments!

Pretty Girls

Well this song was posted by Turtle Guy I just had to post it here cos as I read it I thought "That's Me :0)"

There are pretty girls who don't like to get dirty
There are pretty girls who sleep until 12:30
There are pretty girls with 99 pairs of shoes
There are pretty girls who jump if you ask them to.

Pretty won't last for ever
Pretty won't make you whole
Pretty won't make you clever
Pretty won't penetrate your soul

I am pretty confident that it's your mind and not your body that should attract
I am pretty confident that pretty fades away, and that's a fact

There are pretty girls who obsess about their looks
There are pretty girls who never read a book
There are pretty girls like candy to the eye
There are pretty girls who never sweat, but have firm theighs

Looking for somebody whose main concern is looking good
Well I won't fit that picture, honey,I never have and I never could.
Pretty might be pretty good for a good time,
But will pretty be pretty enough to stimulate your mind?

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Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Flutterby




I've always been fascinated by butterflies. I think that they are one of the most beautiful creatures on earth. It’s hard to believe that those colours naturally occur.

I thought of doing this post cos I just received a butterfly pendant for my Birthday. I even used to be called ‘samanalaya’ (which means butterfly in Sinhala) in a class ever since I went to it in a rainbow coloured top :0)

I’ve also wondered from where the name butterfly came (they don’t have anything to do with butter, and look nothing like a fly, don’t you think flutterby sounds much nicer, and that’s exactly what they do!

Just found out from wikipedia though that apparently the word butterfly had come because butterflies were thought to steal milk. An alternative folk etymology, current in Great Britain, is that it originated as a contraction of term butter-coloured fly referring to the Brimstone Butterfly in the pic, often the first butterfly of Spring.

Monday, May 15, 2006

Minting Women Millionaires

I just came across this article on the Business Week website and thought of posting it. Minting Women Millionaires

I was surprised to find out that it was only in 1975 that women won the right to have credit cards and open bank accounts in their own names, without a male co-signer. "We don't always recognize that It's only been since then that women have been able to gain economic independence on paper, create credit histories, and so forth."

Women in the business world and tech world is a subject that's very close to my heart. Something that I have come to realize in my short time in the engineering industry is that if you're a woman you are "guilty until proven innocent" and from the beginning itself you have to work twice as hard to earn the same respect that your male colleagues get.

I guess you might think that I'm a feminist, but I've always disliked that term cos it sounds like I'm "anti-male". All I really want is equal opportunity, without always being considered as the "weaker sex".

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BA

Nope, I’m not thinking of doing a Bachelor of Arts on top of my Bachelor of Science Degree, I just think I should join a Bloggerholics Anonymous! :0) Before this blogging addiction gets out of hand!

The first thing I do after switching on the computer is to check if anyone has left any comments for me! Sometimes I find myself wandering “What can I blog about?” or “Is this event bloggable?”

I started to realize the seriousness of this addiction, last weekend when I had difficulty getting connected to the internet from home and was really frustrated that I couldn’t Blog!

Anyone out there who has a cure for this addiction?

Friday, May 12, 2006

Happy Birthday to me!

I have lived on this planet for 26 years. So what have I done in the last year…

Other than the usual, there were many firsts in my life and I must say I’m happy with where I am today. Only thing I hate about growing older is that, people (especially old aunts) keep asking me about when I’m going to settle down and get married! Hey I’m enjoying my crazy single life, so why can’t people just give me a break!

My firsts while still 25 (in Reverse chronological order)

Started my Blog - So far I’m enjoying the blogging experience and have made many blogging buddies. :0)

Got accepted by Cambridge MBA program - Just getting accepted was a dream come true, this was my ‘wishful thinking’ school and I almost didn’t apply thinking I wouldn’t be accepted. I also got accepted to the Melbourne Business School MBA program and the Asper Business School, Manitoba Canada.

Travelled overseas on my own - (for the Cambridge MBA interview) Loved the experience. I was there for a week and toured both London and Cambridge. Though I have traveled to many countries this was the first time that my parents didn’t come with me. I'm hoping I'll get to go to Cambridge, I totally fell in love with the it!

Took part in my very first musical stage drama - (a public performance which went on for 3 nights) This was a experience of a life time, especially for someone who used to be really shy. I got to sing, dance and act for a large audience on stage. :0)

White Water Rafting - went White Water Rafting for the first time and totally enjoyed my self. I love it.

Thursday, May 11, 2006

Angels and Demons

I just finished reading Angels and Demons by Dan Brown, one of the best thrillers ever. I couldn’t put it down after starting to read it(it was as good as Da Vinci Code). I know that some people say that they are anti-Catholic novels and about the many protests world wide against the release of the Da Vinci COde movie, but being a devout Catholic myself I totally disagree with them. Actually I'm looking forward to that movie.

To me being a catholic is a lot more than the ‘Church’ and though I love and respect the Catholic church, I am aware that there have been instances where the Church has been in the ‘wrong’. To me being a Catholic is mainly about living the kind of life that Jesus Christ lived here on earth and following his example. Personally I don’t believe in the underling meaning of the Da Vinci Code about Jesus’ blood line, but think of it as an exciting piece of fiction.

Angels and Demons deals with moral issues such as the age old debate between Science and Religion. It outlines many of the internal workings of the Vatican as a plot to blow up the Vatican unfolds during the conclave (voting process for a new Pope). I thought of posting some photos of the places mentioned in the book as I was really curious as to how they looked. (Now I really want to visit these places!)


On the top, Inside Sistine Chapel and St Perter's Basilica is below.

The swiss guard

One thing that I found really intriguing about both Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons was the symbology, the mysteries and the secret codes and how they were solved in the end.

If you've read the books and want to find out the secrets and about the locations check the official Dan Brown website.

Being a techy myself I also found the info about the CERN labs and antimatter really interesting and so I did some research on those.

Look at the pic, it looks like it’s straight out of a sci-fi movie. The European Organization for Nuclear Research (French: Organisation Européenne pour la Recherche Nucléaire), commonly known as CERN, is the world's largest particle physics laboratory, situated just west of Geneva on the border between France and Switzerland. The acronym originally stood, in French, for Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire (European Council for Nuclear Research), which was a provisional council for setting up the laboratory, established in 1952.

One of the major inventions that came out of CERN is World Wide Web initiated by Tim Berners-Lee in 1989. So all of us bloggers are indebted to CERN!


Would you believe that there actually is a real X-33 space plane which can travel at Mach 15! (over 10,000 mph.) This cruises at an altitude of almost 100 miles high, on the edge of space. Imagine tavelling in one of these! Wow!

ANTIMATTER – Antimatter or contra-terrene matter is matter that is composed of the antiparticles of those that constitute normal matter. If a particle and its antiparticle come in contact with each other, the two annihilate, producing photons and possibly other particle/antiparticle pairs that are endowed with a large amount of energy (the difference between the rest energy of the products of the annihilation and the rest energy of the original particle/antiparticle pair). This is the wikipedia definition and I can’t really make much sense of this, but thought it an interesting concept.

According to the CERN official website There is no possibility to use antimatter as energy "source". Unlike solar energy, coal or oil, antimatter does not occur in nature: we have to make every particle at the expense of much more energy than it can give back during annihilation.

Spoiler Warning

I also thought of including the 4 locations believed to be the Illuminati Alters of Science and the Illuminati Lair according to the book. Yes, they really do exist and they are all works of Bernini.

Illuminati Alter of the Earth

Habakkuk and the Angel

Illuminati Alter of the Water

Fountain of the four rivers


Illumunati Alter of Fire

Ecstasy of St Theresa

Illumunati Alter of Air

West Ponente near the Obelisk

Illunianti Lair

Castle of St Angelo

Wednesday, May 10, 2006

Anticipation...

Well I finaly decided to buy the books from the Cambridge MBA Pre-reading List, hoping I'll get a scholarship or loan. (keeping fingers and toes crossed) I figured that even if I go somewhere else there would still come in useful, and I might as well get some background info about the management & finance subjects as I have not studied any of these subjects and most of them are alien to me. Ofcourse I found Organizational behavior really intersting as I'm into psychology.

The three books I bought are below. Still haven't touched them. Let's see how it goes. Anyway since I get the Asian low price editions I only paid about one fifth of what I would have paid if I bought them from UK.

Corporate Finance and Analysis of Financial Reports
Brealey, R., Myers, S.C. and Allen, F. (2006) Corporate finance. (8th ed.) Boston, Mass.; London : Irwin McGraw-Hill

Marketing
Kotler, P. and Keller, K.L. (2006) Marketing management. (12th ed.) Upper Saddle River, N.J. : Prentice Hall/Pearson Education

Organisational Behaviour and the Management of People
Robbins, S. (2005) Organizational behavior. (11th ed./International ed.) Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall

Tuesday, May 09, 2006

It is not the critic who counts...

It is not the critic who counts;
not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled,
or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.

The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena;
whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood;
who errs and comes short again and again...
Who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions,
and spends himself in a worthy cause;
who at the least knows in the end
the triumph of high achievement;
and who, at the worst,
if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly,
so that his place shall neve be
with those cold and timid souls
who know neither victory nor defeat

- Theodore Roosevelt -

The song on its mighty pinions took every living soul, and lifted it gently to heaven

I just came across this quote by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and had to post it, as I feel there’s something about songs that can really uplift the soul. (ok not every song, but I guess you know what type of songs I’m talking about )

Come to think of it, I have a song for each major milestone in my life...

One of the songs that’s really close to my heart is ‘Stay the Same' by Joey Mcintire

When I was a little kid I had a strong inferiority complex and always thought very little of my self. I used to be very shy, and rarely spoke, not because I didn’t have anything to say, but because I always worried that others might laugh at what I had to say, so I’d rather be silent. I used to wish I was different and popular. I was usually classified as a 'nerd' cos I always worked hard at school but kept to my self a lot. So I tried really hard to become 'cool' and pretend to be someone I'm not, just to be part of the 'in crowd'...

It was around the time that this song came out (1999) that I realized inorder to really be successful in life, or to really love anyone, you have to start by loving your self. It was a long hard process to get out of the mode of thinking I was already in, but today I can honestly say that I am happy with my self.

I initially started theatre as a way of getting rid of this shyness and it truly did help. I will always remember the advice to me, by the director of the musical I was part of which was to "Lose the Critic and the Judge". What he said was that it was the 'critic' and the 'judge' sitting on the shoulders of each person that keep telling you that others may laugh at you or think that you are weird if you do something different, which is what kills creativity.


People can usually see through the mask, when you pretend to be someone else. Anyway now I know that you don't need the kind of friends who can't accept the person you are. I believe that it's alright to be different as long as you are true to your self and don't hurt others.

So now when people say I'm different, I say I'm Unique. :0) People say this often cos I don't fall in to any of the typical stereotyped categories. I'm an engineer by profession, and rather studious and ambitious when it comes to my work. I also love working with people and find human psychology very intriguing. At the same time I'm someone who loves performance theatre, and singing and dancing as well as adventurous experiences. When I'm with the 'techys' I'm a total extrovert where as compared to my out going drama friends, I'm the total introvert.

Another thing that I have come to learn is that people who are happy with themselves don't try to put others down, I believe that the deep-seated feelings of inferiority is what makes people want to 'bring others down to their level'. Now that I don't care what other's think of me and not too bothered about the 'in crowd' the 'in crowd' comes to me. :0)

As someone whexperiencedienced the whole spectrum from total introvert to extrovert (though the old feelings do come now and then) I know that once you believe in yourself, you can achieve anything.

I know I totally went out of the topic of songs, but thought of ending this post with that song which changed my life.

Stay The Same - Joey Mcintyre

Don't you ever wish you were someone else,
You were meant to be the way you are exactly.
Don't you ever say you don't like the way you are.
When you learn to love yourself, you're better off by far.
And I hope you always stay the same,cuz there's nothin' 'bout you I would change.

I think that you could be whatever you wanted to be
If you could realize, all the dreams you have inside.
Don't be afraid if you've got something to say,
Just open up your heart and let it show you the way.
Believe in yourself.
Reach down inside.
The love you find will set you free.
Believe in yourself, you will come alive.
Have faith in what you do.
You'll make it through.

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Monday, May 08, 2006

Break a leg

I subscribe to A phrase a Week which emails me the origin of a phrase a week and just got this week’s phrase ‘Break a leg’

I have always been interested about this phrase as I am into theatre and just last October took part in a public performance of a musical. There too everyone wished each other “Break a Leg” and not Good Luck on Opening Night. So thought of putting it down

Meaning
Said to actors for good luck before they go on stage, especially on an opening nights.

Origin
The term 'break a leg' appears to come from the belief that one ought not to utter the words 'good luck' to an actor. By wishing someone bad luck, the opposite is supposed to happen. Other superstitions are that is bad luck to whistle in a theatre, or to say the final line of a play during dress rehearsal.

The most common interpretation of 'break' in this context is, 'to deviate from a straight line', as in the cricketing term, 'off break'. That is, unstraighten the leg by bending at the knee, by bowing or curtseying.

'Break a leg' also means, 'make a strenuous effort'. There are many references to the phrase used that way, which pre-date the earliest theatrical good luck charm meaning. For example, from The Hammond Times, Indiana, 1942:
"Whatever the army or navy want, the Continental Roll [and Steel Foundry] will turn out ... Or break a leg trying."
So, it is possible that when an actor is told to 'break a leg', he/she may just be being exhorted to put on an energetic, exciting performance.

Mission Impossible III Continued…

As promised here’s the update in the M:I:lll premiere, I must say that I totally enjoyed myself. We even got a ‘Red Carpet’ entrance, M:I:lll souvenirs and MIF (Mission Impossible Foprce) Secret Agents ushering us in.



It filled with loads of unimaginable, impossible(after all it is mission impossible!), last minute rescue stunts. I was at the edge of my seat throughout. It was great seeing it on the ‘big screen’ the other two MIs I watched at home and didn’t have the same effect.

Tom Cruise, looking as gorgeous as usual, returns to the role of Secret Agent Ethan Hunt, in M:I:III. Here he confronts Owen Davian, an international weapons and information provider with no remorse and no conscience, and has to fight to protect his love. It was a bit confusing with ‘good guys’ turning into ‘bad guys’ just like MI:l. But all in all, I had a great time.

Tom never seems to age! He’s as gorgeous as I remember him when I was a kid in school and had a huge crush on him! (the days of top gun and cocktail)

Btw If anyone out there knows please tell me “What is the ‘Rabbit’s Foot’?”

Friday, May 05, 2006

Mission Impossible III

Won 2 tickets for the world premiere of the Mission Impossible III screening (can't believe it's actaully being premiered here on the same day as the rest of the world, usually it takes ages before movies come to the theatres here.)

Looking forward to it tonight. Hope it's as good as expected! More about it after the screening :0)

Thursday, May 04, 2006

Unlock your imagination


Just watched the movie, Finding Neverland last night. It’s the story of how play write J. M. Barrie was inspired to write the famous Peter Pan. In the movie, Jonny Depp who plays J. M. Barrie befriends a young widow and her four sons, and their experiences together give him the ideas for a story about boys who do not want to grow up.

It was a magical movie which made me want to be a kid again. Too much of the hum drum work life has seems to be killing my imagination these days.

Imagination can take you to places where you’ve never been and which may not even exist. As a kid I lived in an imaginary world as I used to be very shy didn’t really have many friends. As I grew up I abandoned that imaginary world for the real one, but I guess it’s good to go to that world of imagination from time to time.

Peter: “You see, Wendy, when the first baby laughed for the first time, its laugh broke into a thousand pieces, and they all went skipping about, and that was the beginning of fairies.
When a new baby laughs for the first time a new fairy is born, and as there are always new babies there are always new fairies. They live in nests on the tops of trees; and the mauve ones are boys and the white ones are girls, and the blue ones are just little sillies who are not sure what they are. There ought to be one fairy for every boy and girl."

Wendy: "Ought to be? Isn't there?"

Peter: "No. You see children know such a lot now, they soon don't believe in fairies, and every time a child says, 'I don't believe in fairies,' there is a fairy somewhere that falls down dead."

So do you believe in fairies?

Blog Therapy

As I promised I’m back to my chirpy self. :0) I really think this blogging is therapeutic.

Wednesday, May 03, 2006

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

I just feel like screaming today. I'm not too sure why, I guess it's just a lot of tiny frustrating things added together. Just had an appointment which got postponed for tomorrow, and even though it's a small thing, it was like the 'water drop that made the bucket overflow'.

I know that my life is wonderful, compared to others and some may not even dare to dream of having what I've got, and that I take way too much for granted. It's just sometimes I just feel like letting out the bad feelings without just 'baring it all with a smile'.

I'm tired of waiting to find out where I'm going for my MBA cos I still have no idea how I will be financing it. It's really frustrating to know that you've been accepted but not know whether you can go, cos of finances. Still no news from Cambridge about the schols or the Loans, I've tried all I could.

I'm tired of being 'chirpy' and this energy ball running around doing everything and smiling and treating all the customers and colleagues with a smile and respect even when they are rude to me! I'm also totally confused about where my life is headed, or what I'm going to do with the rest of my life...

Don't worry I'll be back to my normal 'chirpy' self soon, but it does feel good, just to get this out at least on my blog since I can't really get up and scream right now.

Tuesday, May 02, 2006

Random Thoughts

As a blogger who has been blogging for just over a month, I decided that my blog needed a facelift.

I never thought I’d enjoy blogging so much, it’s a great way for me put my thoughts down about many subjects, and to keep in touch with friends. I’ve also ‘met’ many bloggers from across the world which is really cool, I never expected so many people to actually read my blog!!!

I decided to rename my blog ‘Random Thoughts’ as it suits my blog better since this is all about what comes to my head, from books, to MBAs to just what I think of the world and what happens in my life.

I also decided to include my favourite quote from George Bernard Shaw, as the description as it reflects the way I think of life.

Picture of Dorian Gray


Just read the book, Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. It’s pretty different from the plays that I’ve read of his.

I’ve been wanting to get hold of this for a long time as the only Novel by Oscar Wilde, and finally found the e-book on Project Gutenberg at http://www.gutenberg.org/. There are many other famous books which can be downloaded from here.

One quote that came to my mind while reading this book was “Vanity is my favourite sin” from the famous movie the Devil’s Advocate.

Made me think about how we sometimes judge someone by their external appearance, before really getting to know them. Even in movies you always see ‘good looking’ good guys and ‘ugly’ bad guys.

What can you really say if someone looks beautiful? They were lucky enough to be born that way. Says nothing about the personality, and I believe what really counts is what you do with your life (your talents) rather than what you were born with.

After years of wanting to look prettier, I've finally come to the stage where I can honestly say that I like the way I look. I know I'm not 'drop dead gorgeous', but then there's a lot more to life than that! I have nothing against externally 'beautiful people' (after all I do have a lot of friends who are 'beautiful' too), all I'm saying is that just because you're not born beautiful, that's not the end of the world. That we should learn to love our selves no matter what we look like.

Oops, I went out of the topic of the book for a bit any way a summary as I see is included below. (this could be intepreted in many ways)

Spoiler warning
This book is about Dorian Gray, a handsome young man, who sees a portrait of himself and wishes that he could stay as young and handsome forever.

“...I shall grow old, and horrible, and dreadful. But this picture will remain always young. It will never be older than this particular day of June.... If it were only the other way! If it were I who was to be always young, and the picture that was to grow old! For that—for that—I would give everything! Yes, there is nothing in the whole world I would not give! I would give my soul for that!”

Then his wish does come true… He sells his soul to the devil and the portrait is marred because of his many sins, becoming old and disfigured, while Dorian Gray himself remains young and perfect.

In the end, Dorian decides to kill his sins and his past by destroying the portrait, but in doing so he kills himself instead.

"When they entered, they found hanging upon the wall a splendid portrait of their master as they had last seen him, in all the wonder of his exquisite youth and beauty. Lying on the floor was a dead man, in evening dress, with a knife in his heart. He was withered, wrinkled, and loathsome of visage. It was not till they had examined the rings that they recognized who it was."