Top 500 Universities in the World

If you a graduate and is wondering if yours is the university to be proud of, you can click on this website to find out.

http://ed.sjtu.edu.cn/rank/2005/ARWU2005_Top100.htm

For the rest of us, life goes on. Some of us become millionaires and still don't know a thing about university life. In fact, a selected number of us hire graduates to run our corporations.
Life isn't fair I know but let's not knock knowledge around too much. There's nothing like a piece of paper or scroll to get your through the front door for that job interview.
Employers are generally inclined to hire someone whom they think can provide a bit of expertise and colour to their organisations. Universities have provided nations with the raw human resources to run the country the world over. Modern times only add to the perception that graduates can do most jobs better than ordinary high school graduates.
This is not the place to debate the issue. But every year, someone somewhere comes up with a ranking list. It helps universities to know where they stand in world standards.
I have nothing against graduates. It is one of life's stepping stones towards social and financial success. Not many people want to take the back road to wealth because it's too long and dirty.
Anyway, let's give a big hand to Harvard University, USA.





Now Click this

Code of Bushido with a touch of Zen

ALMOST everybody has heard of the word Samurai but few really understand what it meant to be a real Samurai. The real guy who wears the katana or carries it wherever he goes subscribes to the Code of Bushido.
The Code makes it mandatory for the Samurai to place honour before self. Honour is of paramount importance. If he were to lose his honour, he would prefer to die. That means only one thing - seppuku or disembowlment.
We have all seen the ritual on TV, films and maybe stage places. These guys take their Bushido code very seriously. Imagine, what it was like about 500 years ago in Japan.
The Shogun was the overlord. He had his daimyos (feudal lords) and then came the Samurais who only served their lord and master. Being a perfect gentleman is a prerequisite, so it is with discipline.
Samurai were supposed to behave themselves anywhere they went. They were somebody to look up to. They had justice as part of their spirit.
Then there's the training that goes with the Code. Constant training, meditation and exercise are part of the package. Those better-than-normal Samurais are very much in touch with Zen. They meditate constantly. They knew or wanted to achieve the level of no mind or "mushin".
If they could attain "muga" (no ego), it was even better. In that state of nothingness, the real power of the samurai emerges. One classic example is Miyamoto Musasahi. He was Japan's greatest swordsman. Musashi was a legend in his own time, much like Bat Masterson of the Wild, Wild West.
Musashi lived, breathed and lived the Code of Bushido. He believed in the no-style fighting. He adapted with the fluid situation. Every opponent was different from the previous one, and Musashi tackled that individual different. That's why he was Japan's greatest.
Musashi studied his enemy, learnt the terrain and knew his craft inside out and backside as well. In his lifetime (61 years), he had never been defeated. Nobody could touch him. Those opponents whom he didn't want to kill, he just avoided their swords until they got tired of trying to cut him down. Rather embarrassing, after about 20 tries, don't you think?
Anyway, the Code of Bushido still exists today but only among a minority. It is a way of life that is difficult to practise under modern times because of the myriad distractions. Nevertheless those guys who still subscribe to this policy are not your normal Joes. They live in the world of their own.
The Bushido guys are very colourful characters but you won't be able to spot them unless you live in the same house as them.
It's good that we know something about the Code of Bushido. You will have to if you want to know what makes Japan tick.

What makes an ordinary person a doggone champion

ANYBODY can be a winner. If you like, a doggone champion!! All he needs is a mental commitment to himself. He has to wake up one morning, looks into the mirror and say "from today, I am training to be a champion. I will think like a champion, talk like one and be one in every respect."
If he isn't taken to the mental institution by a distractor, he will soon be a champion. His determination will carry him there. Champions are simply ordinary people with an unshakeable faith in their own God-given abilities.
Nobody is born a nobody. Everybody is somebody. You may not be 7ft tall but at your own height, you are just as special as Carl Lewis or Sugar Ray Robinson. Why do you think there are so many Rocky wannabees around? It's because everyone wants recognition but sadly, most of these dreamers don't want to work at it.
Rockys become real life Rockys because they fight for it. It's blood, sweat and tears, brother. There is no short-cut. Don't feel sorry for yourself. If you do, soon everyone else will too. And if that happens, then you really deserve the pity.
"Don't give me your pity!" is one of those phrases that are greatly disliked by people who want to fight their own battles. Be like that. Fight your own battles. What is life, if not battling the odds and winning in the end. Even if you don't win, it's a nice thought to know that you have tried.
Yes, New York Times is not going to around to cover your every drop of sweat or blood you shed. Say, you are only one of the six billion people on earth. Not everybody gets a fair shake of the Press.
However, every person is special. Tell yourself that every morning when you brush your teeth. I remind myself every hour of every day. I am special. No, I don't have three hands or four legs. If I do, the circus wants me, not my wife.
You are special. You are unique. If you are a father of at least one child, your son or daughter will know that you are special. Feel the hand that slips around your neck. Look at the way, your child stares into your eyes. You are special, my friend. Your child knows it, your wife knows it, your family knows it but you deny it to yourself.
It's time to love yourself, my man. If you don't love yourself, it will not show in your persona; in the way you walk; in the way you talk; in the way you carry yourself.
Women love men who are confident. Clearly, those men who love themselves are themselves loved by others. Be one of these champions. The suns rises tomorrow. It's another chance for you to do good.
For heaven's sake, give yourself another chance. Every morning of every day, every person gets another chance to be a champion. Sure, you often don't get it right the first time. Can you imagine how predictable and boring it will be if you get it right every time the first time? Man, life will be horrible like that.
There must be a bit of a struggle. Something to tell the folks back home; of how you fought a great fight and won, plus a few bruises to add character to your face and persona.
God knows it is not meant to be a walk in the park for everybody, otherwise what is the purpose of life? Nobody will learn anything. Everybody will just wake up every morning and smile like a blinking idiot!
Life is an adventure. It will be an adventure if you willingly participate. You learn and want to help others. That's another way of becoming a champion. Champion in other people's eyes. They will believe in you, then you believe in yourself and the circle is complete.
Go, my son. The world is waiting for you.

Be a champion

Dolly Parton from Smoky Mountain

Dolly Parton has been in the singing business for slightly more than 40 years. She's pretty, short and has one "hell of a voice". Dolly also has a great sense of humour.
Besides her voice, she's better known for her DD cup size which she once described in the Oprah Winfrey Show as "weapons of mass distraction". No doubt, she's right on both counts.
Her height does not match the Sierra trees because she stands at five feet nothing. In her own words, her small waist and tiny feet were "because nothing grows well under the shade." I believe her audience got her points rather well.
Born in Sevierville, Tennessee, she came into the world blessed with the name Dolly Rebecca Parton. She's the fourth of 12 children to Avie Lee Owens and Robert Lee Parton.
Her brothers and sisters are Rachel Dennison (an actress), twins Floyd and Freida, Willadeene, David, Denver, Bobby, Stella, Cassie, Larry, and Randy.
Dolly has always referred to her birth home as being a one-room "dirt-poor" cabin up in Locust Ridge, Smoky Mountain. She was raised singing and listening to hymns in the Assembly of God. So the church was a big part of her life. Her grandpappy was known to be a Pentecostal preacher of fire-brand quality. Dolly once said he was a "holy roller".
At an early age, Dolly began to show a singing talent of prodigy quality. At 12, she was singing for radio and TV shows in East Tennessee. At 13, she appeared in Grand Ole Opry in Tennessee. For any country singer to perform at Grand Ole Opry was a mark of achievement.
Soon, Dolly ventured to Nashville. She however remained very much the country girl from Tennessee, with all the habits and mannerisms of the old farm country.
At the age of 20, destiny pulled her in the direction of one Carl Dean who was involved in the asphat business, and he was from Georgia. On May 20, 1966, Dolly and Carl were married.
Carl was one of those husbands who preferred to remain in the shadows. He stayed in the background up till today. Dolly told Oprah in an interview that whenever she and Carl had an issue, one of them will be gone - maybe to a place like California.
In her 40 years of show business, Dolly has written about 3,000 songs. This is one of her crowning achievements because her successful songs have earned her millions in royalty.
Two of her classics are Coat of Many Colors and Jolene. That song made famous by Whitney Houston "I Will Always Love You (movie theme for Bodyguard) was written by Dolly back in 1974. It was sung by Dolly and it went to No. 1 on the Country charts. However, Whitney took it to the top on the pop charts.
There was a story about how Elvis Presley wanted to record I Will Always Love You but Colonel Parker spoilt it by demanding that Dolly gave up half of the publishing rights.
Dolly duly said no and went crying to the bank repeatedly over the decades. Smart girl. All those years in poverty up in Smoky Mountain taught her a great deal.
So besides her unique voice, what makes Dolly so popular? My guess is her personality. Dolly comes across on stage as well on TV as being the "genuine article". She is unpretentious, honest and charming in her own "country way". Ordinary folks tend to like individuals who display an honesty that is born out of sincerity.
Dolly doesn't make a big deal about her physical assets. She knows she's worth millions but she also knows she's been on the wrong side of poverty. When you are from a family of about 14 siblings, a lot of things tend to form a large part of your persona.
Dolly Parton today owns more properties and organisations than she cares to reveal. One of her companies, called Sanddollar Productions, was responsible for that famous TV seris Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
During her golden years, she has turned down repeatedly offers to appear in Playbody magazine. I reckon all that country upbringing has rubbed off the right side of her.
Dolly Parton is also known to be an icon among the gays and has been a favourite subject as far as drag queens are concerned.
Her hit records and albums stretch as far back as 1967 when a lot of her fans were not even born. Today in the year 2005, she's still producing hit songs. She has bronze statue made in her likeness and star in Hollywood walks in different places.
It's really amazing how her career has developed and how it's going. And she's not finished yet. What a stupendous career for a marvellous lady. May God Bless her everyday of her remaining years on earth.

Shania Twain: Beauty with a voice

Before Shania, the only female country singers I know of were Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Barbara Mandrell and Patsy Cline. I wasn't really into country music via women country singers.
However, a few years back, Shania popped into the country music scene. It helps if you have a pretty face, and Shania's fans know she's different from the others. Her voice has a distinct tonal quality that separates her from her peers and her predecessors.
There are some songs which are Shania's own and nobody can take that away from her. I am talking about "You're Still The One" and "Man, I Feel Like A Woman".
It is not a secret that Shania has experienced some bad times in her teenage years. She has made no secret of it.
Those were the days when she woke up hungry in the morning and hungry when she went to bed. The things she didn't mention were those days when she cried over how she was going to feed her brothers and sister.
Shania was born Eilleen Regina Edwards in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Her parents were Sharon and Clarence Edwards. Her parents went separate ways when she was still a toddler at two. Her mother remarried and her second husband was Jerry Twain.
So Shania grew up as Eilleen Twain in Timmins, Ontario. As Eilleen, she got her first taste of the pop world when she appeared on CBC TV show Tommy Hunter. She was 13 at that time.
In school, Eilleen sang for a local group called "Longshot". It was certainly a long shot from what was to be her future. Before all that glamour fell on her lap, Eilleen took a double blow when her mother and her step-father died tragically in a road accident on Nov 1, 1987.
Things just went downhill pretty fast for her and her two brothers, Mark and Daryl, and her sister Carrie-Ann. Overnight, she became the sole breadwinner of the shrunken household. It must have been a terrifying time for her. No mum, no dad and alone with three young mouths to feed.
Eilleen soon found herself singing at local tourist spot called Deerhurst Resort. For four years, Eilleen struggled. The winters which came and went seemed desperately long and cold. Money was scarce, and good food, if any, were even rarer. Then in 1991, fortune began to smile on her. An entertainment lawyer from Nashville, Tennessee, took a liking to her voice and requested a demo tape. That same year, she secured a recording contract with Richard Frank of Mercury Nashville Records.
As it was, and still is, with the entertainment industry, a person's birth name is almost never good enough for the masses. So Eilleen became Shania (shu-nye-uh). It has been said that Shania's adopted father was a full-fledged Ojibwa, and Shania simply means "I am on my way." I guess Shania thought that suited her circumstances quite well.
There have been reports that Shania is part Ojibwa. Not really true. It was her step-dad's heritage which she adopted to indicate her resilience in the face of overwhelming odds.
Initially, Shania's debut album didn't go down well with the country folks. Nashville music scene can be quite unforgiving. Shania was basically a nobody and she had to play second fiddle to others and other unknown song writers.
The sunshine peeked over the mountain top for her when a song producer Robert "Mutt" Lange heard her voice and offered to write songs for her. And so it came to past in June 1993, Shania and Lange met at the Nashville's Fan Fair. It was one of those inescape destiny's moments when two souls meet.
Before the year is over, Shania and Lange were married. It quickly proved to be a fruitful relationship. Shania began to sing songs written by herself and her husband.
Her second album entitled The Woman In Me was produced in 1995.
It quickly became a hit with songs like "Whose Bed Your Boots Have Been Under" and "Any Man Of Mine". For months thereafter, The Woman In Me stayed on top of the country charts. Then it crossed over to the main charts. It hit a high of No. 5 and garnered 12 million sales before the dust settled.
It was indeed a turning point for Shania Twain. Poverty which had a vise-like hold on her for so long has finally began to loosen its grip. Grammy Award for the Best Country Album went to The Woman In Me.
The Academy of Country Music for Album of the Year also went to Shania. To top it all off, Shania was selected as Best New Female Vocalist by the Academy. It was as if all those years of plodding in darkness to find the next meal had suddenly become surreal and a distant memory.
Shania came out with her third album Come on, Over in 1997. The album never made it to the No. 1 spot but it climbed to No. 2. But the single "You're Still The One" rocked the country world. Other songs like "Don't Be Stupid, Honey, I'm Home" and "From This Moment On" kept the album in the charts for the next 48 months.
It was indeed a heady time for Shania Twain, the former struggling resort singer of no particular importance. In time, Come On, Over sold an impressive 20 million copies in the United States and 39 million around the world.
"You're Still The One" chalked up its run as the Best Country Song. Shania also took home the title of Best Female Country Performer.
In 1998, her appearance in the VH1 Divas Concert, details of Shania's early years were released. These were about her hardcore poverty background and the initial rejection by the Nashville music industry. Coupled with her appealingly fresh and attractive looks, the entire country began to fell in love with her.
In 1999, Shania Twain was voted Entertainer of the year by the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association. It was a double firsts for Shania who had indeed come a very long way from Timmins, Ontario, Canada to Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
Today, Shania enjoys her hard earned success with her husband and son Eja in Switzerland which has become her home. Her second home is that much publicised Motutapu Station (farmland) in Wanaka, New Zealand. It's a 17-hectare sheep land where she and her hubby hope to build their second home.
A TV biographical account of Shania Twain will be aired in about a week's time over CBC on Nov 7, 2005. It's called Shania: A Life in Eight Albums. Meredith Henderson will star as Shania Twain.
I have a soft spot for Shania. She's a great beauty and an excellent singer. Sometimes, in life, people like Shania gets their lucky breaks. Not many do. Shania's idol is Dolly Parton. That's my next topic when I find the time.
Meanwhile, we the fans are praying for Shania's continued good fortune. It gives up hope to see that life is fair at times even if most of us don't think so.

Country songs & music

OK, I confess. I am one of those who love country music and songs to bits. What's there NOT to love. Country music & songs are basically about those intangible things which all of us normal people hold dear and near to our hearts.
Man loses his dog, wife loses her man to the bottle or to his poker game, man down to his last nicket or dime. These are some of life's gripping moments. When you are rich and famous, you probably have your own problems but if you are a normal Joe like me, you would, somewhere along the line, experience some of the subjects which I mentioned earlier.
Ordinary people with very ordinary salaries love country songs. That's because country music tugs at the heart strings. Love, affection, childhood memories, mum's cooking, dad's old guitar, brother's hand-me-down clothes, sister's boyfriends - these are great subjects for country songs.
Who wouldn't want to reflect on these things? They make you think of home. They make your eyes misty over the girl-next-door you love but who wouldn't return your affection. She went on to marry someone who's better looking than you, and maybe even richer.
Yes, it hurts like hell but it makes a great song. You can cry in the solitude of your own room as you listen to those emotional words. Now that you have money, they girl of your dreams is no longer around. That's makes it even more heart-breaking.
So life's like that. You think of all those nice cookies your aunt used to make. You recall all those childhood pranks you pulled on your neighbours or your neighbour's kids. They were harmless little tricks, of course. You were just a kid, for heaven's sake. How were you to know that that boy you tricked got caned by his dad. It was all your fault but you didn't feel guilty for long. That's life, I guess.
Now that you are a city slicker, you think you sometimes know it all....that is, until you hear that familiar country tune that takes you down memory lane.
Aaaah... that old, familiar feeling. Funny how people seem to like to think back of the old days. Actually, sometimes it's not that long, say maybe 10 years ago. But you have lived so much in a decade that it might as well be 30 years.
Even at 35 years old, you feel as if you have lived half a century. Country songs have a way to worming their way into your heart and soul. That's why country music will never die.
I yearn for those carefree days. It's the same for many others my age (that's a secret). However, we are mindful that we can't rebuild yesterdays but we sure have today and tomorrow will take care of itself. Hey, this line makes a good song. Maybe I should try my hand at song-writing. That's another subject for country music.
Meanwhile, take me home country road...............

Working for a living, or working for the fun of it?

RIGHT now, to be honest, I am doing a bit of both. However, there were times about 20 years ago when I wasn't that sure. I was at the threshold of my career then. It wasn't really getting up every morning and smelling the roses, if you know what I mean.
The years stretched into decades and before I knew it, they called me "one of the veterans" in the office. It is not as if I have taken part in the Vietnam War or anything like that.
But the younger set are always like that. They seem to think that anyone pass the age of 40 is sliding downhill - fast! It has been my favourite habit to tell anyone who want to listen that some of the greatest works were done by people in their 60s and beyond. There you go!
In fact, it's 5.31pm on my side of the world right now. I have officially finished work about two hours ago. But I linger around to "tie up the loose ends". Work also entails other duties.
Anyway, when life is good, one shouldn't pass a careless remark that "it's boring." Next thing you know, you will be snowed under a mountain of paper work.
Work has become a bit of a passion for me. It's meeting friends, exchanging ideas of how to "make big bucks". I know it's rather presumptious of us but no harm in dreaming big. Frankly, I think we can make it.
If Bill Gates had not entertained his early ambitions of wiring up the world, he could be working at McDonald's right now. Perhaps he would even be a manager of a McDonald's outlet.
See, what happens when you let your mind roam the "outer limits".
I urge myself on a daily basis not to be confined by the limitations imposed by my own imagined inadequacies. The skies the limit. We won't even want to think of the bottom. Nothing is the bottom. We are shooting for the sky. Hell, we are shooting for the heavens.
It used to be "oh dear, I'm working tomorrow. Boo. Boo."
Nowadays, it's "what's work? I am having a great time. It's not work anymore. It's a hobby and a passion." That's when the fun begins.
When you mix enthusiasm with practicality, and spice it up with ambitious plans and a whole lot of unbridled diligence, magic can take place. I have seen it happen to others. I told my close friend that if we can dream it, we can achieve it.
When I have done it, you who are reading this, will be the first to know.

Not one day at a time but living the Moment

IT TOOK me a better part of 30 years that real living is not on a day-to-day basis but actually LIVING the moment. Now what does that mean?
Living the moment means feeling the exhiliration and jubilation of a event at a subliminal level. Let me see if I have described it correctly. For example, if you are traipsing in a quaint neighbourhood which you have just discovered.
You "soak" in the details visually, inhale the unique scent of the place and feel the structures with your fingers and hands. That's "living the moment". In other words, you are practically imprinting the memory of the place and the moment through perception of your five human senses.
One day at a time translates into taking in 24 hours at a time. That means you live on a 24-hourly basis. You don't want to know too much about tomorrow because you live mainly for today.
One day at a time is not a bad self-imposed schedule. It applies to a lot of people who have simply made up their minds not to worry about somethings which they cannot change. It also means you know tomorrow will take care of itself, if you do the right things today.
But living the moment is the ultimate in high living. Each moment in time is precious to you. If you happen to catch the beautiful vista of a double rainbow in all its splendour after a shower, and you pause and enjoy the moment, you are living the moment.
Living the moment is the pastime of genuises like Leonardo da Vinci, Michaelangelo, Gaugin, Vincent Van Gogh. All these past masters had expressed their "living-the-moment" experiences in paintings, drawings, sculptures and other works of art. Da Vinci left evidence of his genuius in writings, theses and beautiful paintings.
If you dare to live as many moments in your life, every hour of every day for the rest of your life, then you have truly lived. As God has intended for you to live, in every way, in every special day, as it was intended since the dawn of time.
Living the moment points to an individual decision to taste the nectar of life. It is a commitment to sink your teeth into the cake of existence; to drink from the fountain of eternal joy.
Many men of letters have talked about this kind of moment. Most of them don't really know what they are talking about. Those who know about it actually are living the moments. They are in "it".
You too should live the moment. Make up your mind now to do it. Don't tally anymore.
Time is short. In every life, whether it be 50 years of existence of 90 years of work, each person's life is a mere half a heartbeat in eternity. For in the term forever, the years do not count. What matters are the moments!
Those moments like when you first fell in love. All your senses shooting through the roof. The very fibre of your being is in tune with all there is. You "see" colours brighter, the music louder and clearer. Each word so crisp and every touch so gentle.
When you hear your favourite song and you slip into the river of gentle repose, every muscle and nerve in your body are at total rest. In that time when time does not rule, you live the moment.
You should strive for these moments. It is an art that has been mastered by the teachers with no titles, nevertheless they are your masters. When time no longer has a hold on you, and love occupies the core of your being, you are deemed to have arrived. That is your moment.
All these moments make up a very complete lifetime. If you can sustain those moments, you will transcend your earthly purpose. You become the beacon that lights other people's paths. It is then, and only then, the worlds become your playground, for then, you not only live the moment, you are the moment.

The sun will still shine tomorrow.............

PEOPLE who are perpectual optimists always come up with lines that are permanently stuck in their minds. Phrases and remarks like "it's darkest before dawn; even the darkest cloud has a silver lining; everything comes to those who wait; perseverance pays handsome dividends; even the longest hour has only 60 minutes."
I am one of these irritating optimists. People who can unconsciously get on the nerves of the gloom seekers or pessimists. What's there to brood over? If you believe you are going to be one of those sorry victims of Hurricane Wilma, are you going to wait for her to clobber you?
Surely not. You will probably run like hell away from her path. Being an eternal sunshine guy is an acquired art. If you can acquire the habit or smoking and drinking, it shouldn't be that difficult to adopt a good habit like looking on the bright side of things.
I used to have a boss who could be quite irritating because he tended to come up with the most inane lines whenever we went up to him for complaints. Once I expressed my displeasure over some minor office matter. His reply was, "count your blessings." Actually, I would rather have the problem settled ASAP.
I found out through encounters and association with the less-than-cheerful people in decades past that enthusiasm and cheerfulness are infectious after a while. I mean you really can't keep a happy guy down. After a while, the gloomy chap will just be swept away by the tide of good cheer.
However, there are some people who simply love to share their misery. They don't want to hear about the good news just around the corner. They just want to wallow in the "feel-bad" ambience. It may sound a bit strange to you but there are some people, fortunately a minority, who indulge in self-persecution.
Why!? I am still trying to fathom the reason. What's so great about feeling sorry for yourself? Eventually, you will just earn the title of being the Incredible Sulk or Sourpuss Extraordinaire.
I have witnessed small groups of individuals indulging in their favourite pastime - comparing woes of a common kind. For example, married women will talk about their "useless" husbands, unfaithful spouses, and uncaring children.
It's quite sad to be a witness of this kind of phenomenon. What a terrible way to spend the precious hours in a day. I mean comparing the magnitude of your sorrow to your friend's. Isn't enough, you are not the most beautiful person in the neighbourhood or the richest guy in the office?
Begone such thoughts, I say. A long time ago, I decided it's shameful to allow my goodself to be part of this gloomy syndrome. We can be cheerful. We should be happy. It's part of our persona.
If you are happy no matter what circumstances you are living in, you will always be welcomed wherever you go. I used to have an office colleague who goes around saying "happy, happy" to anyone he met. I thought that was pretty original.
That happy guy has since died but the memory of his legendary words fills me with a warmth that has lingered for so long. And so I want to pass on this good feeling. This little formula that will make you a happy person too.
Your family will rest easy too when you return from office and not throw things aroound or put on a sourpuss look. Try it some time soon.

Remembering the victims of Wilma in our prayers

Hurricane Wilma is now in the Atlantic but not before pulverising the Carribean and Cuba and Florida in its wake. At last count, the death toll in Florida is six. In the other countries, the toll is much higher.
It is a tragedy that ordinary people all over the world are now victims of nature's fury. Hurricanes trigger off tornadoes in several parts of America. When a wind blows in at 150mph, there will bound to be victims.
Every life is precious. Every person is remembered as someone who has left behind families and loved ones behind. Every death that comes suddenly should be mourned. We are all important in the whole scheme of life. Every single spark of life is part of the whole.
Just like every joint of our body completes the whole, each digit of each finger is important, just like every child born, regardless of circumstances and environment is important.
It is times like these, we the unhurt and uninjured should pray for those who have come into harm's way. We pray for them not because we know who they are, we pray for them because they are just like us, human beings with memories, with families, with needs and who have loved ones.
Before the year is over, there will probably be a few more natural calamities coming our way, no matter where we are located geographically. This year has been one of the most trying years since the dawning of the new century.
Prayers is one of the few gifts that we have that will hold us in good stead no matter what happens to the world. It is caring for others that we save ourselves. We must learn to pray for others so that the circle of life will encompass us too in its mysterious spark of everlasting joy.
Why do nuns, monks, priests, popes, and others in holy orders in faraway lands pray and meditate? Praying is just another form of meditation. The secret of visualising an image or faces of remembered ones in our silent communion with the celestial entity is to be "one" with all there is.
I know that sounds cryptic but those are the only words I know that describes it. In essence, when you are praying for others, you are actually praying for yourself. In the laws of eternity, the only way you get good things is when you give it away, or when you wish sincerely that others receive them. That is one of the greatest mysteries of the universe.
In faraway Florida, Cuba, Mexico, Cancun and elsewhere that CNN cannot reach, there are people who are suffering without others knowing about them. These individuals too are included in my prayers and in the prayers of others who pray across the world.
Prayers are like little candles in the dark. Together they make one big bonfire. They shine like beacons on a troubled night. They cannot be snuffed out by the wind. They cannot be ignored, nor can they fizzle out or be forgotten. It is God's promise that all prayers are heard and answered.
How the response will be does not fall into the perimeters of human understanding. The good news is every prayer gets an answer. For it is said, you will be heard in more ways than one.
That is why we shall remember all those who have fallen in harm's way, whether the calamity is man-made or nature's own.

Christmas just about 8 weeks from now

I HAVE mixed feelings about Christmas because for many years, it was just another day for me. Before, a long time ago, when I was living essentially only for myself, Christmas was just another excuse to go out and have a good time.
These days, my children have grown up and they celebrate it, a large part for me. It has become an inescapable fact that Christmas is an occasion to learn to share, or just to share whatever you have. If you have money, of course, that will be fun. If you don't have that much, you share yourself and all the thoughtfulness you can muster. The second part is very much more meaningful.
For example, an unexpected visit to someone you have not seen for years. Maybe you would like to call someone who you know is always talking or enquiring about your welfare.
These are the little acts on your part that brings joy into our other people's lives. It causes you almost nothing but only a willingness on your part to do it out of sincerity. Such intangible gifts from the heart reach the heart of the recipient and the warm feelings almost never go away.
Your kind deed will be kept and be taken out of memory banks now and then, fresh as the day it was given, and all the fragrance of that kind act will rejuvenate the mind and gladden the heart of the one who receives it.
Christmas makes me think of things like that. It makes me think of my sister who left home for about 37 years now. She writes back now and then. She left when she was 18, now she's 55. As she grows older, those who stayed back in the home country become more precious to her.
I guess age has taught her what life had a hard time doing. But she has learnt her lessons well and all of us benefited. Christmas time also makes me wonder about the welfare of my uncles and aunties. They are into their 70s now.
I still remember those years when they were in the prime of their lives. They were so robust, so full of life. Now Father Time is knocking at their doors. They tire easily but the zest of life has not completely deserted them yet.
Yes, I think of them now. I remember the nice gifts they gave me. The fun and laughter we shared. How life has given them so much and taught me so well. Christmas is a good time to remember everybody.
It is not a time to recall old hurts. I make it a point to forget all that. It is like trying to put vinegar into one's own mouth. What's the point? If remembering ancient unpleasant moments is good, then Christmas is as good a time as any to wash them all away.
I think of all those young people who are forced by circumstances to leave their homes, parents and loved ones to earn a living. I think of those painful times when they couldn't return home to spend time with their families. I think of those lonely days they have to endure, and I pray for them.
Yes, Christmas is also a time for reflection, especially reflection in the right spirit. We should take an accounting of our own lives up till Dec 25 and think of all those missed opportunities to bring joy into other people's lives and our own.
What a waste of good chances. But then, there's Christmas again - another chance to say sorry if we have done wrong, another chance to reclaim our own kind self, another chance to bring tears of joy to the eyes of those we care for, and another chance to help others to be good.
Isn't that what Christmas is all about?

The Misunderstood America

LET'S BE frank, outside America there are not many admirers of this great continent. People who have never been to USA, or studied there perceived that Americans are cocky, arrogant and pushy.
However, most of them do like American TV shows, its songs, its fashion and the hotdogs. I have some American friends but that doesn't make me an authority on things America.
I have the fortunate experience of meeting some great Americans who have taught me valuable lessons. From my encounters with those Americans I have been met and befriended, I find Americans are generally very nice people.
Yes, they do talk with a certain twang. If they are from New York, the accent is more pronounced. Americans have a great sense of humour. They love life like everybody else around the world. They care for their parents and those things which they value in life, like freedom, liberty, financial security and their traditions.
Heck, we are the same across the other side of the world. People in Asia, not everybody, have the notion that Americans are always trying to get the upper hand in every deal they make.
I think America is neither as sneaky or as honest as everyone else. The bottom line is America is very much misunderstood. Its trouble hinges on its public relations. Americans don't try very hard to please people because it is interpreted that they are too big a nation to go around trying to make itself understood.
Frankly, it can be a bit tiring trying to please everybody. But there is a growing respect these days among certain nations who used to think that America is that uncaring big, giant of a nation that only cares about itself.
This change of mind came in recent months when Americans were seen to be first on the scene of several disaster scenes in Asia, and particularly in South Asia. I guess Asians in general are thinking right now that perhaps they have been wrong about USA and its people all along.
I am glad in a way that America has been there when it counted. Asians are not a funny lot but if they ever find out that a certain people can be trusted, you will have a friend for life.
It is my personal belief that America was conceived by the Almighty to be great because it has a role to play in the destiny of the world. One day and it will come, America will be there, shoulder-to-shoulder, with the rest of the world, fighting poverty, disasters, Avian Flu, AIDS, quakes, hurricanes, etc.
We who are on the other side of the world won't forget such deeds because we are not that kind of people. America has been misunderstood for a long time. I think these days, people are changing their minds pretty fast.
Keep up the good work, America!

Walking the talk on a broken down bike

OK, I admit it I am learning patience right now. I have just lost the entire post which I painstaking typed about 15 minutes ago. There was this "time-out" problem at this blogsite. So in a way, nothing was lost.
As I was saying when I was rudely interrupted, yesterday after dropping off my son for work, I headed for the neigbourhood's newsstand when a familiar, ominous sound screeched from my motorcycle.
I have heard this sound before - about five or six years ago. It meant that my gearbox had gone into an inretrievable engine loss mode. Sure enough, an hour later at the mechanic shop, I was told one of the parts had broken and the bill would be hefty if I opted for an original part.
Since, my bike is close to 10 years old, I wasn't that keen on anything original. I decided to go for a re-conditioned spare part. In my part of the world, mechanics are quite resourceful.
Three hours later, my bike was back to its spiffy self. It purred like a kitchen and swung down the road with a bit of confidence, giving me the rider a bit of cheap thrill.
The story here is not about the bike but about what happened after I was forced to "abandon" the bike at the shop. I had to walk home and walked back to the shop to retrieve the bike.
It was during my walk that I discovered that the little details that had escaped my attention while I was on my bike. I must have taken the same route on hundreds of occasions. Since I had to keep an eye on the road, I normally don't cast my eyes around like a tourist.
If I were to do so, I might just end up in a ditch, which I actually did one evening not so long ago (but that's another story).
Anyway, while I was travelling along on my God-given two legs, I began to notice the houseowners' gardens and the way they have done it all up. Some of the homes were not exactly mansions but they did have pride in their own surroundings. I also stole a glance at people's backyards and front gardens.
Many of them were simple because the folks who live there were from the lower income group. They were generally not as well off as those chaps in the more swanky part of the neighbourhood.
I took pleasure at Nature's offerings in the form of tall, old trees and beautiful bushes that lined the roads where I walked. Suddenly, it dawned on me that for most of us, life was constantly on the "fast forward" button. We seldom push the "play" mode and watch everything slow down for our own sake.
We tend to be in a hurry. In fact, we are in a hurry all the time. By the time, we realise that we are moving too fast for our own good, we are at the tail end of our existence.
So in a way, my bike breaking down was good for me. I made friends with the mechanic. He was a young man who was obviously good at this profession. It may not have been the kind of work he really liked but he was good at it, and there's no denying that.
I also learnt from this young gentleman which bike was the most reliable bike on the road. My model wasn't in his "must-have" category. So the next time, I am in the market for a new motorcycle, I know what to look for. And this knowledge came from sharing a few moments in life with a stranger whom I only got to know when my bike broke down.
I am in a way glad my bike broke down yesterday because I discovered so many things but then I don't want it to break down again anytime soon. But if it does sometime in the future, I won't be tearing my hair out because it's Fate's way of telling me that it's time for another valuable lesson in life.

Why your tyre goes flat in your life

Hey guys! I didn't lose this post after all. Have to count those small blessings in life. Since I have recovered something I thought I lost I shall not delete it because it shows the different paths my mind took when there was a temporary "blackout".

Yesterday morning after I dropped my son off for work, I turned my bike towards the neighbourhood newsstand. On the way, I heard a sound kicked in inside the gearbox.
It was a noise that I have heard before - about five or six years ago. It forbode that something is seriously wrong with the internal mechanism. The bike could hardly moved but nevertheless I managed to coax it back to my house at snail's pace.
I soon discovered that the gearbox has suffered a terminal attack of some kind. So I pushed it to the nearest motorshop. Upon closer examination, the mechanic told me that one of the gearbox's part had broken.
I left it at the shop and went home. A couple of hours later, I walked back to the shop in the afternoon sun. This story is not about my bike but what happens when a person has to "leave" his normal mode of transport and rely on the only kind of built-in transport he was born with - his legs.
Anyway, a few hours later, I was walking back to the shop after finding out all the repairs have been done. While I was travelling along on my two legs, I began to notice things I barely cast a glance on the hundreds of occasions when I rode through the same route.
I "see" people's gardens and how neatly they kept them. I gazed with amazement how magnificent the trees that lined the road leading to my destination. I also noticed the chickens and little animals that ran, crawled or scurried across the different pathways.
I would have continued to miss all these very ordinary things in my neighbourhood if I had not been forced to walk. This time at a very much slower pace.
This is the thing about life. Most of the time, we live on the "fast forward" mode, just like our TV remote. We tend to punch the "FF" button. Hence, we miss the "little bits" that can make our life more meaningful.
Perhaps it's time, we slow down a little and frequently hit the "play" mode. This way, we will not miss the other "parts" which are equally important. I found out on many occasions that if I take a leisurely stroll through any spot, I tend to see more.
Thus, yesterday I learnt that sometimes it takes a "breakdown" of sorts to compel me to re-align my priorities. Isn't that a bit silly? Why should we wait for frustrating events to take place in our lives before we slow down. We ought to go slow most of the time. That doesn't mean we have to cause a "traffic jam", but to take a breather now and then.
If we have all the time to stand and stare, we will learn some important things like my idle conversations with the youthful mechanic taught me more about bikes of other makes in one single afternoon, than all the browsing of literature on bikes in the library. Nothing like learning first hand on the most reliable bike on the road.
Just ask the mechanic, and he will tell you which model of what make gives the most problems for bikers. Not forgetting how to save costs on repairs, too.
No, I don't wish my bike breaks down often but when it does, I take the opportunity to learn as much as possible from the people I am "forced" to encounter.
P.S. Walking builds up stamina, too and it's good for the heart, I was told. So it's a win-win situation.

The weather is fine this morning

When dawn broke several hours ago, I took a peek out of my window and saw the beautiful sky. Normally, I don't make a fuss over the weather but yesterday evening I got caught in a heavy drizzle on the way home from office.
Actually, I don't mind the rain but it's the dirt and the occasional spray of road water that splashed on my face when a speeding car moved past me. So good weather must be appreciated.
However, so many people don't really appreciate the weather. If it's sunny, they say it's too hot and not good for their rosy complexion. If it's too cold, they say it's bad for their bones, asthma or arthritis.
If it's windy, they comment it's blowing their hair all over the place. If it's too quiet, they say something is amiss. There's really no pleasing everybody.
Weather has been a subject of conversation as long as man has been around on this planet. Notice how the English always greeting others, "Fine weather, old chap!" That's because, the English weather is almost unpredictable across the cliffs of Dover. One minute, it's sunny and the next minute, it is raining. Then it turns cold and windy. That's why most English people carry brollies around and wear a wear because they will never know when the temperature is going to drop or the wind is going to blow.
Here in the tropics, we almost never talk about the weather because it is always hot. Who is going to discuss the sun everyday when it beating mercilessly on your entire body? Strangely, the middle-aged foreigners love the tropics.
A number of them have obtained permanent residence in the tropics because the sun is good for them. If it gets too hot and humid, they can always retreat under the shade, sip water melon juice or into the air-conditioned premises of their bungalows. On all counts, it works to their favour.
Over in the temperate countries, the cold weather has been reported to have killed a number of old folks because they cannot afford to pay their electricity bills or have radiators installed in their homes.
Looks like the weather has been the subject of a lot of inane conversations in the past. These days when people talk about the weather, they are more liable to say, "Hurricane Wilma is coming in at Category Five. Looks like Mexico is going to be floored and Florida is going to be beaten silly."
See what I mean about the weather? You just can't please anybody!

Who took some of my marbles?

EVER LOST your marbles? Not literally, but figuratively. Yes, there are some times in every one of our lives when we did lose our marbles.
"Oh, he's losing it, or you're losing it, man!" You hear these phrases some of the time. Frankly, I don't know why people think that it's such a big deal to lose your marbles.
I mean it in the sanity sense. We all lose our cool occasionally. Our composure is not iron-clad. As individuals, we can be a little "hot under the collar" about certain things which are personal in nature.
One of my "back-to-sanity" techniques is to readily admit that I have indeed lost some of my marbles but I will eventually retrieve them. I told people losing marbles is not a bad thing because sometimes an individual need to lose himself before he can find his bearings again.
Life is about finding something precious. Very often, we are surrounded by precious, valuable people but we don't realise it or don't give it a second thought until we have lost it or are going to lose it.
So in a way, losing something is a lesson in life. How sad it is to witness an individual who never "loses his marbles". A person like that is almost Vulcanic. Can you imagine how irritating a person like Spock is?
Almost all of us are not perfect. That's why we are on earth to straighten "matters out". Human existence points to one long session of coming to terms with what are limitations are and how we can forge ahead despite all these limitations.
Different things happen to different folks so that each experience is built according to his or her needs. If you need to learn that money isn't the be-all of all human existence, you may have lots of money initially but later you will lost it all, so that you can see life beyond money. It could be a lesson to teach you to appreciate the other finer, intangible things in life.
So don't panic should you "lose your marbles". It is but a phase in this lifelong journey. Revel in it. Have a good laugh. Sleep over it but don't lose sleep over it.
Now that I am in my more mature years, I am not afraid of being accused of losing my marbles. I laugh at such a description should it come my way. I have lost my marbles in more ways and days than I can count, and I am still around. I still get a big kick out of life.
The ride is always great if you don't have unexpectedly, ridiculously grand expectations. Life is not only about making money. It is also about losing your marbles.
Lose some, win some.

The Wind and the rain on my face

THIS morning when I was on my way to office, it rained rather heavily. I wore my raincoat and my crash helmet has a visor.
Still, the rain drops came crashing into my face and hands. The wind was thrilling and cold at the same time. Nature wasn't being mean. It was just doing its thing.
Strange as it may sound, but I really enjoy riding in the rain with the cool, rushing wind as its companion. Ask any biker who has experienced this and they will tell you that there are certain things in life that defy explanation. And riding in the rain is one of them.
I have ridden my bike for about 30 years, I still haven't got tired of it yet. On the bike when the going is smooth, there are Zen-like moments when it's just you, the purring of the bike's engine and your thoughts.
Time slows to a crawl even as the wheels glide across the highways and byways. Your thoughts travel at the speed of light. Your mind goes on auto and the bike has a life of its own. Even when the traffic is heavy, your consciousness goes into auto mode. There is never ever any real danger of getting into trouble.
I love riding my bike. It helps me to relax. I get to catch scenes that motorists in their vehicles are blind to. I see little children holding on to their mothers' hands and it makes me think of my own who has died a long time ago.
I catch glimpses of people's behaviour while they are driving and it gives me an indication of what kind of person they are, or how they may view life.
If you don't enjoy riding motorcycles then you are missing a lot. If you are like me, then you will understand what I am trying to say.
Life is too short to be chauffeured around. Of course, being driven around in a fancy car is thrilling but communicating with nature via the rain, sunshine and wind is an experience that is privileged for the chosen few.
It is not given to all that this experience be thrust on them. Bikers know what it is like. When they are older or retired, the memories of riding fast, riding smooth and lost in one's own thoughts are like jewels glittering in the twilight.
Magnificent, joyous, transcendental - all these moments caught along the highway of life.

Five Most Memorable Sci-Fi Movies

There must be thousands of sci-fi movies made over the past 30 years. I have seen a number of good ones. Not all of them, of course because my wallet won't allow it.
The ones I remember with some fair degree of clarity are Blade Runner, Matrix series, Superman series, Alien series, and Star Wars episodes.
I suspect Hollywood only echoes what is already being experimented upon or received through the grapevine that certain scientific possibilities are skirting on the edge of reality.
For example, about 30 years ago, the Star Trek series showed Capt Kirk communicating with his starship crew using a small hand-held communicator device. Today we have cellphones of similar sizes, perhaps even smaller.
About 40 years ago, Dick Tracy of the comic strips was shown talking to his assistants via watch TV screens. Today, this has become a reality with 3G handphones.
That's what I like about the really good sci-fi movies. They provoke sensible and intelligent thinking. Anything that can be conceived in the mind of man, can be translated into reality. Almost nothing is impossible.
Star Trek has its famous "beam me up, Scotty!" line. Recently, scientists have achieved a similar albeit on a very much smaller scale, the transfer of gases across the room. So the possibility is there. In future, the deatomisation of any solid state will be rendered possible and absolutely safe.
However, we are not there yet. Futurogists are already talking of living on other planets. The fact that our space exploratory craft has reached Mars is already an indicator of possible happenings in the next 50 years or less.
Sci-fi movies experiments with our mind. Scientists take the sensible approach but in the imagination of man, there are no limits or ceilings.
There will come a time when anything which are considered impossible right now are accepted facts in the future. Take for example, the case of hovering vehicles. Right now, man has not yet conquered gravity so vehicles on the roads still need wheels.
In future, there will be vehicles which will hover silently on solid surfaces and leave no residue of any matter which will pollute the earth.
We are now living in the realm of infinite possibilities. With our imagination and a little entertaining help from Hollywood studios, we are going to achieve the impossible dreams. And we will have fun doing it. That's the way, life should be!!

A whole lot of shaking going on..............

THERE'S something amiss with this beloved planet of ours. It is certainly not natural for hurricanes, typhoons and earthquakes to take place with such alarming regularity in recent days.
Good heavens, what is this world heading to? Scientists seem strangely quiet about this series of natural disasters. Yes, they do comment now and then but very few are brave enough to broadcast any predictions which might turn out to be hogwash or be as accurate as tomorrow's weather report.
Somewhere in this world, I am sure there are some researchers who know the consequences of what are going on with the planetary system. This is no time to be shy or be guarded about professional views. If the views could help the world, then we must hear these people out.
For too long now, nations and people in general have taken the world for granted. Fire spots are spotted by the hundreds daily by orbiting satellites. CFCs, the ozone layer, melting polar caps are given cursory coverage by many TV networks.
Unless the flood waters come right up to our doorsteps, most of us are not bothered or worried. Hurricane Katrina swept over several US Gulf states and put thousands in their graves.
If the world as a whole views this unnatural phenomenon lightly, we will be in trouble sooner than we think. It is my belief that we are already in trouble.
Earthquakes are occurring in places where they don't normally happen. Take for example, the Kashmir region saddling India and Pakistan. This mountainous region has been shaken up so badly in the recent quake that many areas have been rendered unreachable because of landslides and rockfall.
Villagers in remote areas are existing under dire circumstances. It is a similar situation to parts of New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
From official reports, the melting polar caps are pouring additional volume of water into the oceans. This means the water level will rise significantly over the years. In the event of a typhoon or hurricane sweeping in from the sea, the surge of water will be higher and low-lying areas will be flooded faster and damage will be much greater.
Frankly, many coastal regions around the world are fighting a losing battle against the raging global weather. The point being made here is what are we going to do about it?
The next front mankind has to watch out for is not war, bird flu or AIDS but uncontrollable and unpredictable violent weather conditions that can wipe out communities and infrastructure in the blink of an eye.
The world has not seen such phenomena in a very long time. Some scientists said these things come in circles but the last time this kind of weather took place, these experts were not even born. So their opinions are just conjecture.
The answer to all these dangerous occurrences is not found anywhere yet. We can make weather forecasts, and call for human evacuation on a massive scale but we cannot stop hurricanes, typhoons and earthquakes.
That is the dilemma facing mankind in the 21st century.

Life's like a pot of gold

AND so where are the gold coins? as anyone would ask. This statement must not be taken in its literal sense. A pot of gold simply means that it is the crucible of much goodness, happiness and sense of well-being.
Many people are in a constant quest for their own pot of gold. They eventually end in the grave with nothing but memories of their fruitless quest. That's because they have searching for the wrong things.
What in heaven's name is a "pot of gold"? We ARE that "pot", except that very few of us realise that. We are a fountain of goodness and all that's quintessentially marvellous. All of us have abilities and qualities that will guarantee us a wonderful life; an exciting existence and good health till we are ready to check out of Hotel Earth.
While, we were out hunting for that real pot of gold (it's an illusion), the real pot of gold (us) is neglected. We "shine" all the time. We have the "goods" but if you were to ask anybody that all of us have got special abilities, we will get the answer, "you are insane and moronic".
Pot of Gold relates to the fact that unlike creatures in the wild, we as individuals can continue as long as we can breathe to succeed in any field we choose. We can live up to 150 years old, if we select to. We can be nice people if we want to. It all boils down to choice.
It is rather sad that the thing we want most has always been inside us. Like all misguided fools, we are always wandering around, looking that "ticket out". We crave to be noticed; we seek fame and fortune without the sweat; we wait for promotions and good things to drop on our lap.
We actually don't need these things. We have more than enough. We have everything we ever need. Seek and you shall find. Easy to remember, almost never implemented by those who have heard those words.
If we seek within what we have been searching without, we will find that the things we want most are not the things the soul needs. Yes, it's true our human heart tells us we want this and that, but the soul knows its needs.
One day when man ventures forth into the real final frontier, all doubts will be cleared up. Hallelujah to that day!