Squatting for Sexy Butt

In her column, Malaysian fitness expert Fiona Ho writes that the best way for a woman to tone her butt is by squatting. (Sunday Star, March 10, 2013)

Mention squatting, the first thing which comes to mind is the traditional Asian squat toilet. I found it hard to relate squatting to beauty…

When Hong Kongese and Mainland Chinese engaged in the locust-dog squabble last year, a magazine （亞洲周刊） pointed out that there exist cultural differences between the two people. One of them was that the Mainlanders liked to squat. So, do you see many Chinese women with big, firm, round butts?

Squatting exercise

In praise of Introverts

The February 6, 2012 issue of Time Magazine features an article: The upside of being an Introvert. As I am an introvert, this article immediately caught my attention.

Our society has not been very kind to the introverts. People don’t pay so much attention to us; and we are less likely to be successful salespersons – that is, unless we sell online. However, according to the Time article, introversion is not all bad. Throughout history, there have been many great people who are introverts. See the list below:

Introverts

• Mohandas Gandhi
• Joe DiMaggio
• Moses
• Hillary Clinton
• Warren Buffett
• Manmohan Singh
• Bill Gates
• Mother Teresa
• Barack Obama

Extroverts

• Bill Clinton
• Margaret Thatcher
• Steve Jobs
• Boris Yeltsin
• Marie Antoinette
• Muhammad Ali
• Winston Churchill
• George W. Bush

It is worth noting that America’s two richest men – Bill Gates and Warren Buffett – are both introverts. Among athletes, Joe DiMaggio (baseball player) was an introvert, while Muhammad Ali was an extrovert. Former President Bill Clinton is extroverted, but his wife Hillary is introverted.

The author also says that introverts often prefer to express themselves in writing. Maybe that’s why I am blogging here…

Cameras for Sale

I am a shutterbug, but I don’t always understand the mindset of my fellow photographers…

This guy bought a new Canon camera in September 2011 (with 2-year warranty). Barely one month had passed, he was already selling this camera in a forum…

Another guy was selling his 3-year old camera. He described it as LIKE NEW. He had already taken 25,000 pictures with this camera. That is like 8,000 shots per year?

Hiatus

Hiatus...

Generosity in Festive Seasons

Festive seasons have always been the time of giving. We exchange presents on Christmas. Muslims donate to the mosque prior to the celebration of Eid (known as Aidilfitri in Malaysia).

I am a sleeping member of a Buddhist society. Each year, during Chinese New Year season, the society members pay visit to selected devotees. They would perform “chanting of blessing”, and the hosts would, in return, contribute some money to the society. I have been taking part in such activities for a number of years. Due to my busy schedule, however, I could only join on perhaps alternate days. This year, I visited a total of 17 houses

One benefactor deserves special mentioning. Her mansion was located near Thien Hou Temple. We arrived at her house at 9pm, and were greeted by the hostess. She was about 30, dressed in cheongsam (旗袍), which highlighted her curvy figure; her brown (dyed) hair was secured in bun, which gave her an elegant look. The lady lived with her mother and three maids. We saw several portraits of her mother hanging on the wall. Also present was a Chinese calligraphy which expounded filial piety. I was told that the lady invited us to her house because she wanted her mother to “benefit” from it.

We performed the routine chanting. At the end of the session the hostess made her contribution. She also gave each of the visitors – about ten of us – a red packet. How much money was inside the ang pau? For privacy reason, I am not disclosing the number. But, considering that we hardly knew each other, I must say that she was very generous.

As a poor man, I couldn’t make a big monetary donation. But at least I was giving my time. That’s another form of generosity. I look forward to next year’s program…

Post-CNY post

Oil lamps in a temple

= = =

OK, I know Chinese New Year is not officially over yet, but I would like to share my thoughts here…

= = =

This year, Chinese New Year fell on Feb 3. I returned to my hometown for the celebration on Feb 1, and returned to Selangor on Feb 7. As Feb 7 was Monday, I expected the traffic to be smooth, but I was wrong. There was gridlock on many stretches of the highway.

On Feb 5 (Saturday), my cousin traveled from Taiping to Kuala Kangsar. The trip took 2 hours, toll-to-toll. On normal days, it should take no more than 20 minutes.

It looks like Malaysian roads are getting more congested every year…

= = =

I have been thinking: what can be done to tackle traffic gridlock during festive seasons?

The obvious way is to widen the North-South Highway. But given its environmental impacts, and the fact that oil price is rising, I would favor shift of focus to public transportation. The good news is that the government is planning to build high speed rail (HSR) linking the major cities on the West coast of Peninsula Malaysia.

Still, we need a car to visit our relatives and friends during festive seasons. So if we take HSR from say, Kuala Lumpur to Penang, we will want to rent a car on the island. Now I hope car rental agencies such as Hertz would seize on this opportunity to provide the service.

Book Giveaway (2011)

I am clearing my bookshelf. Here are some books to be given away. If you are interested please drop me a message…

#1
The City and the Stars
by Arthur C. Clark (famous science fiction author)

#2
Beyond Belief
by V. S. Naipul (Nobel laureate)

#3
Phra Farang: An English Monk in Thailand
by Phra Peter Pannapadipo

#4
不丹，深呼吸： 山景。雪國。梵音
by 陳念萱

Question Marks over a Deadly Accident

Three teenagers aged 17-18, were killed in a road accident in Malaysia on Dec 7, 2010. The tragedy took place on a highway at around 3.30am in the morning.

According to witnesses, the driver, who died on the spot, was trying to make an illegal U-turn in the middle of the highway when their car was struck by another vehicle.

A few things crossed my mind when I read the news:

First, why was the driver making a U-turn on a highway? Didn’t he know it was illegal?

Second, the accident took place at 3.30 in the morning. Why were the three teenagers not at home by then?

Third, the driver was only 17 years old; he only got his driving license one month ago. (Other sources say a few months.) Was he too young to drive without adult supervision? His father defended him, saying that the teenager ‘had never had any accident record’.

According to another source, the young driver once threatened to not sit for exam, when the school wanted him to trim his hair. I suspect he was of rebellious type. If he had been driving recklessly, who was to be blamed?

source

Read the full story here:

Taking illegal U-turn on highway a costly mistake for three friends

17-years old called home to say they would be late

Book Giveaway

My room is overrun by books, and I intend to dispose of some of them. If you are interested in the books listed below please drop me an e-mail. I will mail them to you. Alternatively, we may meet in Starbucks or White Town Old Coffee…

BTW, I would like to get your advice on the best way to send a book by mail…

Angels & Demons by Dan Brown

Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseni

村上春樹 之發條鳥年代紀

Biz & Tech Talk

I have started a new blog specifically on business and technology-related matter. The inaugural post is:

Green Packet and the future of WiMAX

Do pay a visit

Biz & Tech Talk

Green Tea

Green tea has gained popularity in the last decade. It is widely believed that regularly green tea drinkers may have lower chances of developing cancer. While green tea is produced in many countries, Japanese green tea is most famous.

I have got a box of ‘tea bags’. As you can see from the packaging – shown above – the name of the product is Jasmine Green Tea. The two large Chinese characters 绿茶 mean ‘green tea’. The five smaller Chinese characters 茉莉花日本 mean ‘Jasmine flower Japan’. There is also a picture of Japanese cup.

However, when I read the label carefully, I soon realized that the tea was actually grown in Vietnam, not Japan. While Jasmine tea is considered a type of green tea, its color is actually more yellow than green, definitely not the same as what we see on the cover.

I can’t commend on the health benefits of Jasmine tea, but it is obvious that the producer is trying to cash in on the popularity of authentic Japanese green tea.

母亲节谈孝道

马来西亚华人有非常强烈的种族优越感，老爱以『五千年中华文化』自诩。当中国政府已经承认55个少数民族时，大马华人还总是强调『黑眼睛黑头发皮肤：龙的传人』。种种沙文主义的论调，只听得我呵欠连连。

五千年中华优秀文化以儒家思想为中心。孔夫子最注重孝道。相比之下，和孔子同时期的印度圣贤悉达多a.k.a.佛祖就很少谈到这个课题。不过悉达多有一回破例告诉我们该如何回报父母的恩惠。这是他的看法：

如果有人。。。能引导父母：破戒的，让他们学习良好德行；吝啬的，让他们学习慷慨助人；愚痴的，让他们学习用正确角度看世间。能如此，才是真正报答父母恩。

不可思议，对吧？传统上，我们被教导必须听从父母的话，哪有反过来引导双亲向善的？

儒家的孝道，不能说不好，但却落于肤浅。我们在奉养父母、成家立业、继承香火、光宗耀祖之余，是否也应该更上一层楼呢？

P/S 我在此祝大家母亲节快乐。

References:

Kataññu Sutta (Gratitude)

中文翻译

作文班招生

我手上有一本2010年1月31日的亚洲周刊。这一期有篇专题是《高铁改变苏州上海生活方式》。该文第一段如下：

当下，『钟摆族』成了苏州、上海年轻人的流行词。。。『上班在上海，居住在苏州』，曾经是很多人的梦想，随着京沪高铁、沪宁城际铁路的相继动工，这一梦可望圆了。苏州到上海十八分钟，到南京一小时，到北京四个多小时。苏州人不用出城就能搭上时速三百多公里的高速列车。

第三段描写一名苏州人的经历：

家在苏州相城采莲路的陈嘉颖，星期一早晨七点四十七分，准时踏上了从苏州开出的D455次动车组列车（俗称『子弹头』）。四十分钟后，八时二十五分到了上海，她出站换地铁，八时五十分前到达位于浦东陆家嘴的银行办公室。。。

（注：京沪高铁、沪宁城际铁路还在兴建中。）

中国和西方作家的差异就在于此：换作是西方作家，必定颠倒次序，先写陈嘉颖，再谈钟摆族。透过个别例子，引申出广泛的现象，这是他们惯用的手法。

我也学会了西方式的写法，这篇帖子其实就是一个例子。

Kikey Loo

I visited my aunt in Penang on the second day of Chinese New Year (Feb 15, 2010). Kikey Loo, the world trotter, was back in her hometown then. I contacted her when I reached Penang. She told me that she was at her father’s shop, which happened to be near my aunt’s house. I decided to pay her a visit. After following her online for a long time, I finally meet up with my ‘idol’.

I mentioned to Kikey that my aunt used to sell chee cheong fun nearby. She told me that she knew my aunt. Then her father intercepted, noting that they were actually relatives. (I later confirmed this with my aunt.) It turned out that Kikey was the relative of my relative!

Kikey gave me a keychain which she got from London. Thank you, Kikey

National Geographic Classic

One of the oldest books I own is the September 1932 issue of National Geographic Magazine. I got it from a bookstore which bought and sold used books in California.

The reason I purchased this magazine was because it carried an article on Shanghai. This article was written at a time when Britons, French and Americans still ruled part of the Chinese city. I have been fascinated by the “Old Shanghai” after watching some Hong Kong TV dramas, such as Chow Yun Fat’s The Bund (上海灘). You know, in Old Shanghai, a gangster could commit a crime in the International Settlement (jointly run by the Brits, Americans, Japanese and Chinese) and escaped into the French Settlement.

This same issue also has an article on Macao (Macau), yet another Chinese enclave ruled by a Western power, in this case the Portuguese. As you would expect, the magazine is loaded with tons of high quality photos.

If you are interested in this issue of National Geographic, I can let go mine at RM100

Happiness Survey Results

On Friday, September 11, 2009, I hosted a happiness survey on my blog, using the tools on SurveyMonkey. Here are the statistics.

A total of 14 persons responded to the survey, but only 12 completed the questionnaire. Out of these 11, five were males and the remaining seven were females.

If you still remember, the questionnaire was divided into three sections. Section A asked negative questions. The more you disagree with the statements, the happier you are.

Sample questions:

I am not particularly optimistic about the future.

I do not have particular happy memories of the past.

Section B asked positive questions. The more you agree with the statements, the happier you are.

Sample questions:

I feel that life is very rewarding.

I have very warm feelings towards almost everyone.

Section C asked you to specify your gender and age groups.

I have devised a rating scale such that the higher the score, the happier one is. Maximum score is 6. And here are the results:

Average score: 4.45

Male average: 4.02

Female average: 4.75

P/S Many thanks to all the participants.

Online Survey

Many bloggers have added polling widgets to their sites. Grass, for example, conducted a poll to find out whether his readers were happy.

These online polls are usually simple, consist of one multiple-choice question. Let’s try something more complex – a survey with multiple questions. SurveyMonkey offers such capability.

One can sign up for a basic account or a professional account on SurveyMonkey. Basic account is free but offers limited features. Additional features are available to professional account users at a fee.

Based on the online poll by Grass, I have developed a happiness survey questionnaire on SurveyMonkey. The questions have been derived from the Oxford Happiness Survey.

OK, please take the survey by clicking the link here. It will take you just a few minutes, and the information entered will be treated with strict confidentiality. Tell me:

How happy are you?

Please take the survey here.

Life with Influenza A Outbreak

Since this country was hit by Influenza A (H1N1) outbreak, I find myself to use elevator less often, and staircase more.

A crowded elevator can be high risk place to catch the flu. Mexico, the country which was the epicenter of the outbreak, had a nationwide ‘shut down’ to stop the spread of the deadly virus. During the 5-day shut down period, no more than six people can enter an elevator. So I decided to avoid crowded elevators whenever possible.

Of course, I don’t walk up the staircase from level 1 to level 5, carrying my notebook computer. If I am without my heavy load, going two or three levels up is certainly possible. It also doubles as a physical exercise.

Are you attached to elevators?

False Claims

Influenza A (H1N1) has caused havoc throughout the world. The Association of Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture Malaysia claims that Chinese traditional medicine is effective in fighting this deadly disease. The reason given: China has not recorded a single fatality.

A few years ago, when SARS was on the rage in Asia, South Korea was lucky to have escaped the brunt. The nationalist Koreans attributed it to their national cuisine – kimchi. This time they are not so lucky. Several Koreans have already died from H1N1 infection.

China, on the other hand, was badly hit during the SARS outbreak. One wonders why Chinese traditional medicine is effective against H1N1 but not against SARS.

Meanwhile, a Malaysian doctor claimed that homosexual acts and masturbation raise the acid level in our bodies, and thereby weaken our immunity against H1N1. Should we encourage casual sex and ‘decriminalize’ prostitution so that lonely men and women need not masturbate?

This same doctor also said that coconut water is an antidote to Influenza A. Well, if I sell sate (satay), I will also tell you that:

Sate will save the world from H1N1!

Hayao Miyazaki’s Anime

Walt Disney has just released the English version of Ponyo, the latest animated movie by Japanese anime guru Hayao Miyazaki. The original Japanese version of the movie (崖の上のポニョ) was released in the Land of the Rising Sun last year.

I am a fan of Hayao Miyazaki. His works, such as Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away (千と千尋の神隠し,), are highly acclaimed in Asia. Somehow he has not been very successful in the American market. So far, the reviews of Ponyo by American movie critics have been mixed. Like all his earlier works, the pictures of Ponyo are hand-drawn, and 2-dimensional. In the era of computer-generated, 3D cartoons such as Shrek and Ice Age, Miyazaki’s anime seem to be too old-fashion, and decidedly simple.

But it is exactly because of the simplicity that I like Miyazaki’s works. If I want a 3D experience, I might as well watch a movie played by real actors/actresses!

I am running short of words to describe Miyazaki’s works, so I will quote those of Richard Corliss, Time Magazine’s writer: His films proceed at a dream walker’s pace. They are not dialogue-heavy; they’re image-buoyant.

Yes, they are image-buoyant, if you are observant enough. The anime master has always had an eye for details. For the reasons just described, I believe his films are more for adults.

Have you watched Hayao Miyazaki’s films? How do you find them?