A short nagging which I got over the weekend triggered this question in my mind. Why is it that the older generation and the younger generation are always at odds when it comes to this prickly issue? I have never been able to place a finger on the pulse of this matter.
It was last weekend when me and my parents went out for dinner at our favorite wantan mee stall. We ordered 2 bowls of dry wantan mee (Medium) and 1 small bowl. The bill came up to be RM10. This means 1 bowl of medium-size wantan mee is RM 3.50. That got my dad really fired up.. going on and on about how expensive it is, and the increase in price is not justified as the portion remains the same, and etc. Dad was talking about it for 15 minutes and that just got me so worked up. I told dad... "the RM 3.50 is well spent and it fills you up to the brim, and it is a real wantan mee. It's not like you are eating wantan mee without the wantan filling, and it has no BBQ pork". But, he was still going on and on about it.
When I start to think about it, there is truth to his grumbling. To the older generation (ie. our parents, uncles, aunties), RM 3.50 is indeed a huge amount. Back in the good ol' days, perhaps 30 - 40 years back, you can get a bowl of steaming hot wantan mee, delivered to your doorstep only at the price of 30 cents. And, once you are done with your food, you will only need to leave it at the doorstep and the man will come and collect it (That is the BEST example of excellent customer service!) RM 3.50 would have been able to feed a family of few (you can buy rice, vegetables and maybe an egg with that measly sum)
To the younger generation nowadays, even a 7-year old kid would scorn at being given a RM 3 angpau. I noticed when kids starts to pester their parents to buy something expensive worth RM 80 or more and their parents try to persuade them by saying it's expensive, the kids make remark such as "It's only RM80... it's very cheap, every month daddy and mummy gets a lot more money, why can't you buy this for me?" And, these remarks will be accompanied by watery eyes, and the next you know, they start bawling...
Scenarios like this are getting more and more common, if only one just chooses to open their eyes and ears wide enough when walking in the shopping centres. I find it apalling that kids right now take for granted the value of money; and instead make such careless remarks. Funny thing is, the parents just ignore them. If it were for my mum or dad, the first thing I'd get is probably a stern warning followed by caning at home.
I used to get excited when I see shillings on the floor; ie. those unaccidentally dropped by people. The first instinct to do is to pick them up and keep it in my piggy bank. Finders keepers.
Fast-forward to the present... Poeple will not bat an eyelid even if they see someone dropped a 10-cent shilling on the ground.
What is our society turning into?
Monday, June 27, 2011
Friday, June 17, 2011
Ambitions
Ambitions.. I am certain everyone; irregardless of age would have at least one, since the day we get ourselves interviewed by our teachers "What would you like to be when you grow up?". I do still remember some of my choices.. a doctor, a lawyer, a nurse, a policewoman (Surprising, huh?), a teacher, a manager and etc. Ambitions change as you grow up as our thinking gets influenced by many external factors. The books we read, the dramas and movies we watch, the people we live and connect with, the topics of conversation, the environment which you grew up in, the people you look up to.
One cannot deny the influence of these external factors in shaping your ambitions. Also, not forgetting is how you picture yourself climbing up the career ladder. Is it going to be at the expense of other people, or you climb the ladder through sheer hard work and taking challenges head-on or by apple-polishing your way up?
I live by the motto that "There's a price to pay for everything". Hence, if you choose to step on the toes of people along the way for your own benefit, you have to pay the price for it. Which means, you will never have true friends and acquaintances. You will always live with scepticism and view things and people in a suspicious manner. Why live way in such a sad manner??
I am fortunate that I have been brought up in an environment that irregardless of how much you desire for success, you should never do that at the expense of someone else. If you feel you are worthy of the level of the success, so, make sure you put in your effort and work your way up by your own virtue, instead of resorting to other measures. That way, once you have reached the position which you desired, there will be no question to your credibility and integrity. Even if there is, at least you know you are true to yourself and that is all that matters. (You got there by your own ability!)
Perhaps it's because that I hold firm to such principles in life, hence I am being mistaken as someone who is unambitious. Ambitions should commensurate with your current capability! No point in trying to hit the sky when your current capability only allows you to hit the 5ft wall... right?
One cannot deny the influence of these external factors in shaping your ambitions. Also, not forgetting is how you picture yourself climbing up the career ladder. Is it going to be at the expense of other people, or you climb the ladder through sheer hard work and taking challenges head-on or by apple-polishing your way up?
I live by the motto that "There's a price to pay for everything". Hence, if you choose to step on the toes of people along the way for your own benefit, you have to pay the price for it. Which means, you will never have true friends and acquaintances. You will always live with scepticism and view things and people in a suspicious manner. Why live way in such a sad manner??
I am fortunate that I have been brought up in an environment that irregardless of how much you desire for success, you should never do that at the expense of someone else. If you feel you are worthy of the level of the success, so, make sure you put in your effort and work your way up by your own virtue, instead of resorting to other measures. That way, once you have reached the position which you desired, there will be no question to your credibility and integrity. Even if there is, at least you know you are true to yourself and that is all that matters. (You got there by your own ability!)
Perhaps it's because that I hold firm to such principles in life, hence I am being mistaken as someone who is unambitious. Ambitions should commensurate with your current capability! No point in trying to hit the sky when your current capability only allows you to hit the 5ft wall... right?
Monday, May 23, 2011
Baker King, Kim Tak Goo
My sister bought a new Korean-drama DVD. Name of the show is Kim Tak-Goo, the Baker King.
I was quite sceptical in the first place, cos the premise seems like the run-of-the-mill kind.
Man, I was surprised when I sat down and watch the first few episodes. It was really GOOD...
I got so addicted to the show, that I finished 9 episodes in one day (from noon to evening, with a break at night, and I continued wathcing it until 5.30 am).
The kid actors were so good, and their acting skils were unbelievable. Some scenes (I think they jsut made it so heart-wrenching), that tears flowed down my cheeks without me realising it. I noticed even my mum and my 7-yr old niece teared too... Hahaha
Of course, even the adult actors are so good-looking and polished. Even a punk with blood-shot eyes, wounds on face and body still looks so good...
Good-looking cast, heart-wrenching storyline, awesome outfits, gorgeous scenery.. What can be better than watching K-dramas to while your stress away??
http://co2r.wordpress.com/2010/06/10/kbs10baker-king-kim-tak-goo/
I was quite sceptical in the first place, cos the premise seems like the run-of-the-mill kind.
Man, I was surprised when I sat down and watch the first few episodes. It was really GOOD...
I got so addicted to the show, that I finished 9 episodes in one day (from noon to evening, with a break at night, and I continued wathcing it until 5.30 am).
The kid actors were so good, and their acting skils were unbelievable. Some scenes (I think they jsut made it so heart-wrenching), that tears flowed down my cheeks without me realising it. I noticed even my mum and my 7-yr old niece teared too... Hahaha
Of course, even the adult actors are so good-looking and polished. Even a punk with blood-shot eyes, wounds on face and body still looks so good...
Good-looking cast, heart-wrenching storyline, awesome outfits, gorgeous scenery.. What can be better than watching K-dramas to while your stress away??
http://co2r.wordpress.com/2010/06/10/kbs10baker-king-kim-tak-goo/
Gold in your mouth?
This is one of my favorite Chinese sayings, which is usually applied when one refuses to givea proper answer / reply when asked. The elderly uses this phrase on kids, when the kid refuses to give a proper answer to questions asked. Never have I expected that this saying is also applicable now that I am an adult now.
There is this saying: Ask, and you shall receive. I beg to differ. This is because, I tried and it doesn't work.
It's either that these people are treating you like a fool or they are just plain selfish. How can one claim to be not aware of your industry's core knowledge, when you have been in the line for ages?
This smacks of pure ignorance, or they are just trying to pull the wool over my eyes. I am so frustrated because I can't believe that even my own colelagues are not being forthcoming with their information and all. I had to resort to the most unconventional method to get the information.
My Brother. He doesn't know much, but at least he helped me to ask his colleague about this, since he is also in the construction industry, even though he's only been there for a year.
That is all that I am asking for. Advice from the people -who-knows-it-better-than -I -Do.
Oh well, I guess this is one of their sneaky ways to make me be accountable for the decision I make.
(But I'm asking this for everyone's benefit.. .guess this people don't have much of gray cells in their brains)
Why can't everyone agree to something without disputing it every single second? Must the decision-making always be at the expense of someone else? A zero-sum game?
Arrgghh.. i will never understand that.
There is this saying: Ask, and you shall receive. I beg to differ. This is because, I tried and it doesn't work.
It's either that these people are treating you like a fool or they are just plain selfish. How can one claim to be not aware of your industry's core knowledge, when you have been in the line for ages?
This smacks of pure ignorance, or they are just trying to pull the wool over my eyes. I am so frustrated because I can't believe that even my own colelagues are not being forthcoming with their information and all. I had to resort to the most unconventional method to get the information.
My Brother. He doesn't know much, but at least he helped me to ask his colleague about this, since he is also in the construction industry, even though he's only been there for a year.
That is all that I am asking for. Advice from the people -who-knows-it-better-than -I -Do.
Oh well, I guess this is one of their sneaky ways to make me be accountable for the decision I make.
(But I'm asking this for everyone's benefit.. .guess this people don't have much of gray cells in their brains)
Why can't everyone agree to something without disputing it every single second? Must the decision-making always be at the expense of someone else? A zero-sum game?
Arrgghh.. i will never understand that.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Quirky
Quirky.. I have never thought of using this word to describe myself until recently. I have always think of myself as a weirdo.. I was and still really different from my other friends.
At one point of time, I was so upset with myself for my inability to blend in with the crowd. Why, why , why.. Is it because I am a geek, is it because I am neither here not there (my struggle between English and the chinese dialects), or is it because I am just born to be socially-awkward and to never fit into the circles of the rich and pretty?
I found out that those are no longer important. (Not the language part, though). One should never ever under-estimate the hidden undercurrents of peer pressure. It can eat up your confidence; the way a huge piece of rock that gets eroded by the slow but consistent waves in the sea.
Individuality is much lauded now and why should one succumb to the pressure of trying to look like every other so-called ideal female outlook...
If quirkiness is what defines a person, I would rather be quirky, than to be lumped under the general "pretty girls" category...
At one point of time, I was so upset with myself for my inability to blend in with the crowd. Why, why , why.. Is it because I am a geek, is it because I am neither here not there (my struggle between English and the chinese dialects), or is it because I am just born to be socially-awkward and to never fit into the circles of the rich and pretty?
I found out that those are no longer important. (Not the language part, though). One should never ever under-estimate the hidden undercurrents of peer pressure. It can eat up your confidence; the way a huge piece of rock that gets eroded by the slow but consistent waves in the sea.
Individuality is much lauded now and why should one succumb to the pressure of trying to look like every other so-called ideal female outlook...
If quirkiness is what defines a person, I would rather be quirky, than to be lumped under the general "pretty girls" category...
Monday, May 16, 2011
Tanned
I am considered quite tanned for a Chinese.. i am quite hitam-manis. Not sure if I take after my mum or dad, but I doubt it's from either of them...So, I have always been mistaken as being a Nyonya or Malay (the extreme ones), but I have never taken that to heart. To me, it's more of the case of a mistaken identity.... Well, this case of mistaken identity happened quite some time ago. I have to admit, I was quite tanned then, probably because I had to walk in the afternoon hot sun, and was quite a fitness freak then.
Well, had a 180 degrees change in lifestyle subsequently after that, and I started to take care of my skin. Religiously applying whitening and anti-darkening lotion, and using the umbrella when walking under the sun. Being religious about it meant my efforts would have resulted in an improvement in my tanned skin.
Surprisingly, just last week, someone was asking me if am I a Nyonya... I was a bit surprised, because I thought that i am way fairer now, than I was back then. It bristled me a bit, but on the brighter side, it's been proven that the chances to get skin cancer is lower for the tanned skin ones, than the fairer skin ones...
Guess it's a blessing in disguise..
Well, had a 180 degrees change in lifestyle subsequently after that, and I started to take care of my skin. Religiously applying whitening and anti-darkening lotion, and using the umbrella when walking under the sun. Being religious about it meant my efforts would have resulted in an improvement in my tanned skin.
Surprisingly, just last week, someone was asking me if am I a Nyonya... I was a bit surprised, because I thought that i am way fairer now, than I was back then. It bristled me a bit, but on the brighter side, it's been proven that the chances to get skin cancer is lower for the tanned skin ones, than the fairer skin ones...
Guess it's a blessing in disguise..
Monday, May 9, 2011
True to oneself
Is there anything wrong if one were to be true to ownself? Defending your own against the multiple abuses and demenaning criticisms against yourself?
I don't see any wrong with it. In fact, I have been brought up to not keep quiet if such injustice happens to befall on you. Therefore, I will always ensure that I speak out, but not rudely. I mean, everyone has to be given an opportunity to show that they themselves are right, at least for once.
Unfortunately, yesterday, i was reprimanded by my boss; which really pisses me off. I was trying to do numbering for my list, when i tried to drag down the list in Excel, and click "Fill Series". My boss intervened and kept on insisting that my way would not work well, and instead hers work. Out of due respect to her, i tried, but it didn't happen. I tried doing it my own way, but she was so irritated with my inability to follow her orders. She said out LOUD (in the conference call) that i was STUBBORN.
I was utterly dumb-founded!Generally, we call someone stubborn because they don't know what are they doing, and yet refuse to listen to someone else who can do it better. In my case, my way works and trying to demonstrate that to her but she just dismiss me off.
TACT is definitely not a common practice here...
Never ever judge a book by its cover.. that is for sure
I don't see any wrong with it. In fact, I have been brought up to not keep quiet if such injustice happens to befall on you. Therefore, I will always ensure that I speak out, but not rudely. I mean, everyone has to be given an opportunity to show that they themselves are right, at least for once.
Unfortunately, yesterday, i was reprimanded by my boss; which really pisses me off. I was trying to do numbering for my list, when i tried to drag down the list in Excel, and click "Fill Series". My boss intervened and kept on insisting that my way would not work well, and instead hers work. Out of due respect to her, i tried, but it didn't happen. I tried doing it my own way, but she was so irritated with my inability to follow her orders. She said out LOUD (in the conference call) that i was STUBBORN.
I was utterly dumb-founded!Generally, we call someone stubborn because they don't know what are they doing, and yet refuse to listen to someone else who can do it better. In my case, my way works and trying to demonstrate that to her but she just dismiss me off.
TACT is definitely not a common practice here...
Never ever judge a book by its cover.. that is for sure
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)