Archive for the 'people' Category

prada, gucci & …padini?

Published on July 18, 2010 in life, people and thoughts. 11 Comments Tags: .

Carrying a Gucci handbag, wearing Prada heels or throwing on an Armani shirt; are brands really that important to the society in this century? When one has certain brands stapled to their body, does that give them a different status in the society? Then again, is status really all that important?

I’ve been hearing stories and witnessing several situations myself, where girls (and guys) would go beyond any measure just to get a designer handbag, or shoe, or a coin pouch. I’m not talking about people who are incredibly rich, you know, those people where RM10k is just small change to them. I’m talking about the average joe; one who works for someone else, earning an average wage, clearly someone who can’t afford any of those designer brand items but still, they are chasing after the need to own all these designer brand items. What good does it do you if you carry a Gucci wallet with only RM10 in that designer wallet? It is beyond me why one would want to choose to go down that path.

Again, why does brand matter so much to some people? Wearing a certain brand does not make you more superior than the person standing next to you. It definitely does not make you a better person. Just coz you wear a Burberry coat does not make you a saint.

Perhaps for some, they are using the brand names to cover their flaws, sort of like branding themselves, thinking that those brand names could wrap them up in a little package that makes them a beautiful and nice person. But do remember that if you do have an ugly personality, no material or brand could cover that for you forever.

I believe that there is a certain amount of need to get items of better quality, but only for certain items. Shoes for instance, to protect those feet. I’m sure you wouldn’t want to be walking around with blisters forming on your feet, so paying a little extra for better shoes are usually wise. Perhaps a good classic watch that would last you a good while would be nice to have. But to spend every last penny you own on buying a designer item (even if it is just to buy a RM500 coin pouch) is really not all that worth it in the long run.

There is more to life than wearing an Armani suit.

p/s: 9 more days. I hope I don’t drown myself in too much shopping — no designer stuff of coz. I’m not rich you know. ;)

same same but different

Published on July 10, 2010 in me, people and thoughts. 4 Comments Tags: , .

It has been 15 years since I last step foot in Singapore. The closest I’ve gotten to Singapore for the past decade was when I was in transit to Shanghai 4 years ago. I guess the crazy exchange rate got the most of me, refraining me from visiting the country. Nonetheless, due to an unexpected course of event, I was in Singapore last week, for 3 days.

It was fun. Touring the city of Singapore, spending half a day at the Universal Studio Singapore, eating some really good chicken rice and meeting some really great ppl was most fun. Although I was there for only a mere 3 days, at the back of my head, I cannot help but constantly made a comparison between Singapore and Malaysia. It is a lot similar to Malaysia but still, there is a huge difference between these 2 neighboring countries.

Singapore had been a part of Malaysia before it took its own course and became a country of their own. But it is simply amazing to see the things Singapore have achieved today versus where Malaysia stands today. I mean, they have surpassed us in the status of being a developed country for many years. Even till today, they are still developing in terms of the infrastructure and the economics for the country. Why do I have the impression that Malaysia is stagnant in terms of development?

I’ve come up with a table of comparison of the lots I have observed when I was in Singapore.

SingaporeMalaysia
My first thought as soon as I got out of the Changi Airport was, 'Wow, Singapore sure is clean'. And by clean, I mean really really clean. It is hard to find a piece of litter on the streets of Singapore. That, to me is amazing. Even places near the construction area seems to be clean!I wouldn't say that Malaysia is super dirty. China is super dirty. But I still see Malaysian citizens throwing rubbish out the car window, treating the streets of Malaysia as a garbage dump. It has become a convenient habit for some Malaysians to litter. Guess it's easier than finding a dumpster and throwing 'em rubbish.
The MRT has been really convenient. I've always have a thing for subways. It is like the best mean of transportation one can use to avoid traffic jams on the road. Of coz there can be human jams at the subway, but still. Better than driving. The lines are expanding and it has reached out to a lot of new places, making it almost like HK! Public transportation in Malaysia as a whole, is horrible. Take Penang for instance; if you don't have your own transportation, say goodbye to your days of going out. Yes, we do have the LRT in KL. That makes it slightly better, but the stations are not within walking distance for a lot of ppl. A car is still an essential item. To add to that, the trains aren't that big either. Do I see new lines coming up to attempt to reach new areas? I don't think so.
Living cost in Singapore is high, especially when it comes to buying or renting houses, or buying cars and fuel. But when it comes to food, or shopping for clothes, shoes or other items, it is cheap. Cheap I say!! Take a Birkenstock sandals for instance. Without discount, it is selling for only SGD99. Blackberry and iPhone are seen to be carried by everyone. Why? Cheap. Phones are sold only in the hundreds and the telco companies give really cheap call/data package. Making a relative comparison to their salary, things are actually cheap! So is the living cost in Singapore really high as compared to the salary they earn?Living cost in Malaysia is relatively lower as compared to Singapore. Problem is, things here aren't all that cheap. Our houses and cars to begin with, are not cheap. Food price have gone up quite a lot in the recent years. And Malaysia is not the best place to shop, to be honest. Let's go back to the Birkenstock comparison. Here in Malaysia, that same model that is selling for SGD99 is selling for RM198. Don't convert. The salary is a RM1 to a SGD1 rate. Hence, with the salary I'm earning in Malaysia, to buy a RM198 sandals is expensive! Take our blackberry and iPhone prices. They are in the thousands. So in my opinion, things in Malaysia are actually expensive.
Yes, Singaporeans can get a US visa waiver. Wouldn't this tell us something?No, Malaysians can never get a US visa waiver. We have to go through that tedious interview to get that visa.

If I were to stay longer in Singapore, I may have come up with more comparison. The thing is, I am not saying that Malaysia is a bad place to stay. Like I’ve mentioned before in some of my previous posts, as much as I hate some of the political decisions that were made in our country, I love being a Malaysian. It is just sad to see how other countries could achieve so much more and is still planning to make the country better, but Malaysia is just, stuck. Maybe it is the rulers of the country that shapes where the country should be today. Or maybe it is the citizens themselves that should play a role. Or maybe it is just both parties.

Oh well. Malaysia will be Malaysia. I wonder if we’ll ever improve and be developed. *shrug*. We’ll see.

if only we reflect

Published on June 9, 2010 in life, people and thoughts. 0 Comments Tags: , .

To a certain extend, we have to admit that it does not always feel good to be wrong. When our mistakes are pointed out, different people attend to the situation differently; some uses defense, some uses sarcasm, some just couldn’t be bothered. No matter what approach we use, it is important that we do a reflection on the situation itself. Are we really in the wrong? Or are they just talking rubbish?

It is rather common for anyone to use the defensive approach. Saying “No, that’s rubbish” is sometimes thought to be the easiest way out. But how many of us actually reflect upon ourselves before we take the defensive approach? Do we really believe that we are not wrong and that other person is just talking crap? Or are we simply living in denial?

I sometimes do take the defensive approach, especially when someone points out my mistake a little too quickly, leaving me no time to really think things through. It is like an instant reflex that my mind tells my mouth that we should defend first. The defensive approach, although widely use, may sometimes leave a huge negative mark in a particular situation. I had to learn it the hard way.

Reflecting on our mistakes and behaviors have been an “activity” my mum use to ask us to do before we go to bed, especially in a particular day when we do something really wrong. Over the years, it has become a habit to a point that sometimes, I think I reflect a little too much. Nonetheless, it is truly a very healthy activity.

We have to always be honest with ourselves. If we are wrong, we are wrong. Living in denial will eventually screw up our lives. To be honest, to admit that one’s wrong takes a lot of courage. Truth is, not everyone can do it or have the guts to do so. If only people could realize that it is no big of a deal, if we admit the mistake, learn from it and move on. Of coz, it would be a problem if one doesn’t learn from the mistake and allow history to repeat itself.

If only we would learn to reflect on ourselves more often and just be honest to ourselves for once, that we aren’t all that great after all.

Oh well.

smarty pants with a crappy attitude

Published on May 31, 2010 in life, people and thoughts. 5 Comments Tags: .

In this new era, it is only common for a person to obtain a bachelors degree. In fact, earning a masters degree is also no big of a deal anymore. It is not as prestige as it used to be. But is it true that having a good education is the only way to ensure that a person will definitely succeed in life? Besides, what would constitute to being successful in life for any human? Do having millions and millions of dollars count as being successful? Or do having the ability to live in a luxurious super condominium and being able to drive a super duper expensive car deem success for a person? Or do simply being able to really live a meaningful life would mean someone is successful?

There is a definite advantage when searching for a job with a certificate in hand. But a good education does not guarantee a success in life. If it does, wouldn’t most of us be satisfied with our so to speak success with the certificates we possess?

Truth is, all that matters is possessing a right attitude. It does not necessarily make you a successful person simply because you earned a PhD in making atomic bombs. It is the things that come after the earning of the PhD that matters. It is not just about the knowledge but it is about having the right attitude during a public presentation, or confrontation, or when having a simple conversation with another human being. You’ll be most surprised to see that some of the most highly educated people has got no basic manners whatsoever at all. So what good does it do to this person, even though he may be a smarty pants?!

So what if you are a PhD holder when you can’t seem to portray basic proper ethics and manners? So what if you are a chief monk in a renowned temple when your mind and soul are still filled with jealousy, hatred and selfishness for another person? So what if you are the CEO of a company when you can’t seem to hold your life together, living with appreciation instead of self centered-ness?

It does not matter who you are or what you do. It all rolls down to having the right attitude.

But I realized one thing; it is way easier to graduate from grad school than to learn how to embrace the right attitude.

i have a thing for giraffe

Published on May 15, 2010 in me, people and stuff. 4 Comments Tags: , .

Yes, I have a thing for giraffes. I think they look really pretty with those spots, they have a really stoned out look which is pretty funny and to top it up, they are really cute! :P

Or maybe it’s coz my youngest cousin once said this to me when she was 8 (that’s like 10 years ago);

melissa: Eh! Why is your neck so long!? Do you eat giraffes?
chiaoju: Errr… no. I don’t.
melissa: …You sure?
chiaoju: Yes Melissa, I don’t eat giraffes and I don’t intend to eat one. Ever.

Kids. *roll eyes*

My favorite giraffe would have to be this one. He’s hilarious and he teaches us something too; The Five Stages of Grief. The giraffe says it all. Watch it. Enjoy!

a new kind of addiction

Published on May 14, 2010 in life, people, stuff and thoughts. 2 Comments Tags: , , .

People in our era are so hooked up on technology that we just stop learning how to speak to someone in person. The lack of face to face communication has become quite severe with more emphasis being put on the technologies we have in existence today. Communication aids like texting, IMs and emails may hamper our abilities to have any effective important conversation in person. We just stop “talking”. It gets worse when it happens between family members. Is this so-called behavior healthy?

I was watching an episode on Oprah recently and it featured a family who is dysfunctional in the context of not being able to communicate with one another. The house is always filled with silence and each family member is busy with their own daily routine. Mum is always up early to hit the gym. Dad is up once Mum gets home, and the first thing he ever does is get on to the computer and check his emails. The older son gets up almost at the same time and the first thing he does is text his friends. In just one morning before he goes to school, the 15-year-old kid would have sent out 30 text messages at the very least (in a month, he sends approximately 10k text messages). When he comes back from school, it is straight on to the computer for some Facebook-ing session. The younger son, who is only 6, gets up and does his thing; either watch TV or play games on his Nintendo. The family is constantly having take-out as their meal and has never really sat down as a family to eat together. Their house is in a mess with dirty laundry and toys all over the place. In short, it feels like they are 4 different individuals, living together and has gotten to a stage of having minimal contact with each other to even function as a family and part of it is because of the technologies we have today.

I’m not saying that I don’t use any of this media communication technologies. I feel a little dysfunctional if I don’t have my mobile phone with me (with data package) to ensure that I can stay connected with the people I want to stay connected with. I can’t function well without the internet simply because I then won’t know the things that are happening with my friends or my sisters who is not here in Penang, physically. On top of that, I can’t work without the internet. Just a clarification though; I realize I don’t need all these if the person I want to get connected with is standing right next to me. Hence only a little dysfunctional.

Too much of something is sometimes never good. That’s what happens when we get too hooked up to the technologies that we completely neglect the importance of human connection in person. I’ve seen people who are sitting on the same table, and you have all of them busy having certain communications on their BB. It’s kinda rude to be honest. These technologies are good in helping people who are far away stay connected. But it should not take away the importance of having occasional meet-ups with friends and family in person from time to time, especially if they are staying in the same town.

When you meet a person face-to-face, you get to see all the expressions and body gestures that you don’t get to see when you’re texting or chatting on IM or sending emails (and I’m not sure if you’ve notice but sometimes, certain people don’t do so well when talking in person but does excellent writing over the internet — interesting eh?). Sometimes, little did we know, this little microinequities are the things that are important in any form of communication. Even talking on the phone is not the same as meeting someone face-to-face. Family, close friends, boyfriend/girlfriend — somehow it is important to meet. Just because you spoke on the phone for an hour does not mean you don’t have to meet occasionally.

Well, my point is, meeting in person is important. Having conversation in person is important. Communication aids that exist today are just aids. They are assistance to make certain conversation or communication possible when 2 people are not in the same continent. So for those who are in the same location, meet up. Learn how to talk to one another. In person.

why do you blog?

Published on May 10, 2010 in me, people and thoughts. 9 Comments Tags: .

Blogging has become quite a popular activity in the recent years. Practically everyone and anyone owns a blog; geeks, nerds, young adults, older adults, popular kids, not so popular kids, crazy people, weirdos — well, everyone. With simplicities provided by blogger, wordpress, tumblr, posterous, and other blogging platforms, blogging has become an activity easily accessible by many. But have any of you bloggers thought of why you started blogging in the first place?

I started blogging a good 5 years ago coz I was bored. I couldn’t get a job yet and I didn’t have anything better to do at home. So I thought, what the heck. Little did I know, I enjoyed every little bit of this little activity called blogging. I blog about things that I feel is worth sharing and it is usually about my thoughts and feelings. That’s me.

I know of people who blog because they want to be famous and earn money from it. They get caught up with the cash google Adsense or Nuffnang has to offer. Chasing after that money becomes their only objective. Well, if you’re being you, and you write about things that you enjoy writing and your blogging career somehow takes off and traffic just kept pouring and pouring into your website simply because ppl like to read about you and your writings, that’s fine. In fact, that’s great. You’re still you. However, if you’re trying really hard creating topics that you think could create all those traffic, wouldn’t blogging be less of a fun thing?

Everyone is unique in their own little way. But we have got to admit that some ppl can write really well and attract a significant amount of readers while some can’t. That’s just life. That’s why I don’t think it’s easy to make a living simply by blogging. Unless you have a certain personality or looks that is appealing to the public, otherwise, it is tough. Then again, that’s just my thought. I may be wrong.

My beliefs are; do something because you enjoy doing it. Be yourself. Don’t just do it for the fame and money. Don’t do it for someone else. Do it for you.

Again, this is what I believe in. You don’t have to agree with me.

But out of curiosity, why do you blog?

a rat who no longer wants to be a rat

Published on April 6, 2010 in life, me, people and thoughts. 7 Comments Tags: , .

The trouble with rat race is that even if you win, you are still a rat.

-a friend

Most of us are rats, competing in this crazy rat race that has been going on for eon. Perhaps the race wasn’t really all that heated up during the years of our grandparents, but it is definitely a tough race to be in nowadays. The thing is, do we still want to be rats, running around in circle for the most parts, striving and struggling to survive in this crazily competing business world just so we “win” and as the quote goes, even though we would have won, we still end up being nothing but a rat?

*sigh*

As much as I don’t want to be a rat, I am a rat. I too, am trap in this crazy rat race, trying my very best to survive my every waking moment as I sit in that lonely cube of mine at work. I mean really. I am a rat! Jeez! I don’t want to be a rat! Especially one that is required to run the crazy rat race!

So, how do we get out of this race?

Don’t know.

The thing is, with this sort of stuff, it’s all really up to the individual. To be or not to be that rat. Motivational speakers, those uplifting positive books written by Dr A or Ms Y on how to live your life — all those are really just guidance. Nothing but guidance. It’s not as easy as picking out every point they make and applying it into our lives. It doesn’t work that way. If it is that simple, no one would be a lost rat. It is important to first know who we are before even deciding if we should apply any of those concepts or pointers or whatever you call them.

So, do I know how I am going to get out of this rat race?

Not yet.

Trying though. Really hard. But I do have the determination to not be a rat. Yes I do. Rat stinks. No offense.

And I know this sound stupid, but why rat? Why not raccoon? I mean raccoon race gives a nice ring to it. Besides, raccoons are cuter.

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