Final day of March. Final day of the quarter.
… and it is 2009, not 2008.
Has things changed? A question I constantly ask.
5 more days and counting.
Leaving on Monday – going away for 3 weeks.
END!!!
Monthly Archive for March, 2009
The QingMing week this week (for my family) reminded me about this one painting, which is the pride of China and is deemed the Mona Lisa of China that I was lucky enough to see back in Aug 2007. To mark the 10th anniversary of Britain’s return of Hong Kong to China back in July 1, 2007, the Chinese government has sent a couple of artworks which are the pride of China to Hong Kong to be exhibited at the Hong Kong Museum of Art. That great painting deemed the Mona Lisa of China, is Zhang Zeduan’s; Along the River During the Qingming Festival (清明上河图), a scroll painted in the 12th century.
Due to the paintings fragility, it is seldom displayed, even in its home back in the Beijing museum. I was just plain lucky to be able to experience this, and to see this 1000 year old painting with my own eyes. To begin with, I’m not expert in any of these Chinese history. But I am proud of the rich culture in art and music among the Chinese society since forever. Our history is so rich, I bet it has got to be one of the richest culture in the history of mankind.
some one part of the 5.28 meter painting
My uncle was ecstatic (and he went to see this painting 3 times which it was being exhibited in the Hong Kong Museum of Art) and he went on to buying tickets for me and my aunt. It wasn’t even pricey (if I remember correctly, it was a mere HKD30 per entrance) so it was all very worthwhile. He even gave us a pre-museum-visit briefing the night before — to make sure we’re not lost and that we see everything that we’re supposed to see (yes, he’s all very paranoid with us). Sessions are allocated for each group of people to have their turn in viewing the painting. Each session is only a mere 5 minutes. 5 minutes to view a 5.28meter painting — that’s just too quick! With the queue being really long, the museum has got no choice. Our group manage to go for 2 rounds before our 5 minutes is up.
checking out the painting - i did this too!
the long queue -- waiting for their turn
I didn’t know how to feel then. Maybe I was not aware of how great this painting is. With 814 humans, 28 boats, some 170 trees, 20 cars and 8 sedan chairs in all by scholars’ count, this painting is strewn with all kinds of businesses including restaurants, guesthouses, incense and herbs shoprs, pharmacies, street stalls with a wide variety of architectural structures including this awesome rainbow bridge. But I know many who were present were very excited. Some were overwhelmed by the opportunity of being able to view this painting. Others are just ecstatic.
When I was at the museum reading the write-ups of this painting, it is said that if you look close enough, the facial expressions of all the 814 humans are different. The number of ladies drawn in the picture is so minimal, only to portray that the ladies are not involved in any way, the business world back in the 12th century. I guess that’s the greatness of this painting — such great details drawn.
The QingMing festival back then is not only about visiting and cleaning the tombstones of the ancestors. It’s also a day where businesses flows in with people actively trading with the area (there were camels in the picture — to portray that business around there is not just from around that area. it comes from the place of the desert as well!).
I still don’t know much about this painting. But I most definitely feel honored and lucky to be able to experience the sight of this painting. It was cool. Way cool. Oh, one more thing. Aside from this painting, there are many more, which blew me away in some ways.
I got some souvenirs back from visiting this exhibition. It is still very much well-kept by me. 
mini scroll of the painting
the book with brief description of all the paintings
For more info on this painting, click here. Or you can read from the mini scroll I’ve got. It has the story of the whole painting. Click here to read about the press release for this event (I am aware of the outdated-ness of this information).
Okie, better head to bed. I’ve got another round of QingMing tomorrow.
Thanks to the increase of global temperature, polar bears up north are drowning.
Ice are melting. The bears have got no place to go.
Some say humans have got nothing to do with this – humans are not responsible for global warming. Some who lives at the North Pole (probably next to Santa) say the claims by environmentalist and a part of the society that ice is depleting is all bullshit. There are more polar bears to go around for everyone than it has been many years ago.
If it is a bunch of crap and all this claims are wrong, can someone explain this video footage? 
Drowning polars are just one of the many result from global warming.
Tell me, how can you not save these cute polar bears?
p/s: If you are planning to participate in Earth Hour, it means that you are VOTING to FIGHT GLOBAL WARMING. Hence, it’s not just about turning off your lights for that ONE HOUR. ONE HOUR doesn’t mean anything. Try calculating your carbon footprint and see how much you’re actually contributing to this climate change. If you’re not going to try and ease those carbon emission in the future, pls don’t turn off your lights tonight. It wouldn’t make much of a difference. You’re just giving ppl who wants to save mother Earth false hope.
I’ve been meaning to write a post on ecological footprint and carbon footprint since December of last year but somehow, I didn’t. Beats me why I didn’t when I’ve been constantly thinking about us humans’ sustainability strategy of our current lifestyle (which I doubt any of us have one).
Ecological footprint is a measure of human demand for the resources generated by the Earth’s ecosystem. It actually compares human demand with the Earth’s ecological capability to regenerate. At the rate we’re going, there is no way we can sustain our human lifestyle. On average, the world ecological footprint is at 2.7 global hectares per capita and the ecological reserve is at a deficit; -0.6 global hectares per capita. WE DON’T HAVE ENOUGH RESOURCES TO SUPPORT OUR LIFESTYLE! HELP!
Well, of coz that figure is on an average basis. They have a set of data by country and Malaysia is not doing all that well either. Probably better than the world’s data, but not good enough. Topping the chart for having huge ecological footprint and a huge deficit of ecological reserve is none other than the United Arab Emirates, followed closely by the US. Malaysia is currently at a ecological footprint of 2.4 with a ecological reserve of 0.3. Well at least we’re not in deficit — YET.
Check out this graph (click on pic to enlarge). It simply shows nations that can still live their life below the overall average of ecological footprint and how some has already reached the top. Real high on top. Bear in mind that these data does not include another huge part of our ecosystem — the animals and the plants. They are yet to be part of the picture and they too need ecological reserves to survive. Imagine having them being part of this whole picture. Would we be in deficit?
*think* — at the rate we’re going, I think we’ll be doomed pretty soon. To read more about ecological footprint, click here.
Now, this whole deal with our ecological footprint rolls back to the concern that the society have on global warming. The global temperature is rising, melting ice bergs, causing water level to rise, which would eventually cause a whole massive flood to a lot of major places in the world. Polar bears are drowning, simply cause they have no place to stand anymore. Their home is melting away. This is just one of the many things that has happened with this climate change.
Everyone should watch the documentary film, An Inconvenient Truth by Al Gore. As much as it could have been a political attempt back then, it is nevertheless the truth that is haunting us and will most definitely continue to haunt us in the future. I watched it and I was blown away. We are not in good shape.
There is this thing called the carbon footprint calculator — a calculator that would help you calculate the impact our activities have on the environment, specifically on climate change. Click here to read more. Here’s an example. Everytime I fly from Penang to Shanghai and back, me, being one passenger, caused 1.4 tonnes of CO2 emission. That’s me alone. That’s crazily alot coming out of one person from taking a flight, don’t you think? Check out the calculator.
Earth Hour is probably the many examples of the society showing support in view of fighting global warming. I’m sure there are many others. But it’s not just about showing we care physically. It’s doing it for real. Electricity is one of the biggest producers of carbon emissions. Earth Hour is urging ppl to turn off their lights to show support, coz light source is yet another huge producers of carbon emissions.
Perhaps we may just be this one tiny being out of the billions and billions of ppl living on the face of the Earth. That doesn’t mean what we do don’t count. It does. As you practice and spread the words of ecological footprint and climate change, you’ll never know how many ppl you can reach out to. It’s all about sustaining and surviving. At the rate we’re going right now, the Earth will collapse in no time.
Save us by saving the Earth.
My work is piling up and it will reach the sky soon. BUT, it’s Monday — so to hell with it. I’m allowed to be all blue-ey for awhile.
[a post specially for mel ]
Do you feel good giving? I feel oh-so-good giving. Especially giving to those who mean the world to me. I think it’s just an act of unselfishness. When it comes to love, that is how it should be. Or at least that’s how I think it should be. I bet mel thinks this way too. (or at least I hope she still does).
I don’t mind not getting things for myself in order to use that resource or money to get something else for someone who means a lot to me. “me” getting things I want is not all that important in the context of my life. Does that mean I love “me” less? Nope. I love “me” equally as much. I just feel that if I have this one opportunity to make someone happy, why not? Who knows, it may just be my last chance.
Nevertheless, sometimes, we are taken for granted. But if you think about it, it’s really okie. Coz to begin with, it feels good being a giver. I think I’d rather live my life making the ppl I love happy – even if it means waking up a little earlier to see them, buying things that they love or be there even if your eyes are closing and you feel like sleeping.
Like I always say, a lot of us don’t realize how important someone is to us until they are gone. It actually took some ppl one year to realize that. It is sad.
“Too bad,” is a oh-so-very-common statement ppl make whenever they learn about situations as such. What’s sadder is, no one does anything after saying too bad. It is interesting to know how some ppl just felt that they have all the time in the world.
Alrighty. Back to work. 
Oh Monday, why do you have to be so blue…
A couple of weeks ago before sueann left our department, she dropped by my cube to have a little chat. We somehow got to talking about books and she asked me this really insightful question.
Do you think that sometimes, there are books where we are destined to read?
I gave it a little thought, and I gave her a hesitant perhaps. Then I started to think. I started to think about the books I’ve read and I have to admit, there are certain books which I choose to read at a moment in my life and those books are somehow reflective of the stuff I’m going through at that particular moment. It’s not that I would pick that book and read it on purpose, but somehow, that book would find itself to my hands.
These are the few which I consider books that I am destined to read. Take “It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want To Be” by the late Paul Arden for instance. When I was reading this book, I wasn’t just thinking about me, but I was in fact thinking about someone else. I was having a conversation with this someone earlier one day and there were a few questions raised by this someone, which I don’t exactly have a good answer for. I found this book a week later only to realize how related the things Paul said in the book vs the conversation I had with that someone earlier. I was surprised. I gave this book to that someone. It’s like — it’s such a coincidence.
Marley & Me has been the #1 best selling book for the longest time. It wasn’t until one fine day, some time early of last year, when this book caught my eye from afar. I’ve always seen this book around, everytime I enter a bookstore. But it has never attracted me to go pick it up and read the back of the book, let alone buy it, despite being a huge fan of dogs. Somehow, that time last year, it did. I picked it up, walked straight to the counter and made my payment. I’ve been in love with the book ever since, and more in love with dogs. The book has reassured my love for dogs. I’m so getting one, one fine day.
Tuesdays with Morrie — reading it has changed how I view living, loving and dying. I remember when I read this book, it was probably at a time when I was pretty much at my lowest. I think it was back in 2005/2006. The book changed the perception I previously had about life. After reading the book, I had new insights within me. I was a new me. I learned. It helped me. I believed I was somehow destined to read it.
The rest of the books had the same impact on me. Notice how most of them are love related? Yea, that’s how much I value love I suppose. Each and every book, fiction or non-fiction gave me insights and has changed some of the perceptions I use to have to somehow make me learn and improve myself, to be a better me in the future. Furthermore, believe it or not, it’s not just about me, but it’s about people around me that matters. I think this is what sueann meant — by books that you are somehow destined to read; be it for you, or for someone else.
My latest read (and I’m still reading it) is Eat, Pray, Love. It’s a travelogue of Elizabeth Gilbert, a woman who has suffered from depression, a broken marriage, who later in her life decides to leave everything behind to travel to 3 different places in search of everything. At each destination, she would stay for a good 4 months before moving to the next. The 3 places are; Italy, India and Indonesia. Again, a book that I would never have thought of reading, but I somehow am reading it right now. I think this is yet another destined book, but I can’t help but wonder if it’s a sign.
There are certain things which comes by your life for a reason. I believe everything happens for a reason. The books you read, the songs you listen to, the people you meet. We learn something from all of these things and it will be surprising how sometimes, you just meet the right person, at the right place, at the right time, to teach you the right thing. I guess when that someone falls right into your arms, the right someone that is, it would make sense not to let go right? *nod* Right.
Nite world.
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