Constructive Deconstruction

Why go to a JC when you can get your A Level cert from…McDonalds!

The British government has granted McDonald’s the right to hand out A-levels, “a qualification … recognized around the world and … used as a sort of entrance exam for some universities” on the basis of its training programme.

( Source : Boingboing )

Can you imagine this…After the release of the O Level results…

Son : Dad, should I go JC, Poly or McDonalds? My friends are all going McDonalds….
Dad : Son, follow your heart….what do you want to be? What’s your ambition?
Son : I’ve always…always dreamed of being a Burger Meister!

[Reproduced] Sealed Lips

I got this from a friend’s blog. I don’t know if right to link to her so i’ll just reproduce it here…

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You gain experiences as you grow older. In fact, the more exposure you have to different situations, the more knowledge you would have accumulated.

Your lips are sealed.

Rethinking work-life balance

I’m half way through “Tough Choices” by Carly Fiorina(the former CEO of HP) and one part of the book talked about how HP was, at one point, too isolated from their competition. They were so focused on internal yardsticks that they failed to measure themselves against their competition leading to slowing growth while all their competitors were moving at an ever increasing pace.

One thing mentioned was how just before Carly was appointed, the outgoing CEO Lew Platt was overly focused on work-life harmony within the organisation. I’ve always been a champion of this. But it got me thinking…

Is there a difference between work-life harmony and work-life integration?

Now, I know the latter sounds like it means you give up your “life” and have it revolve only around work. But I’m really referring to the concept of having work meaningful to the point that it becomes something that’s just part of how people want to live.

I think the biggest gift one can give to people is the satisfaction of achieving something that’s just beyond their reach. It enlarges people. It makes them grow and it empowers them to go for greater things in other areas of their life. Empowerment and confidence not only affects the individual but it also affects their families…and their children especially.

Should leaders be trying to put work and life on a scale? Or should they be trying to make meaning of their work?

Now, that’s a question I need to ask myself too.

Tanjong Beach

the waves softly caressing the beach
a sustained moment of rhythmic crashing
the breeze in everyone’s hair
running her fingers while softly undressing

silent giggle from afar
loud passionate moments abound
lights in the distance
do more to blind than astound

trees dancing to the midnight music
shaking, swaying…moving
a natural backdrop to a picturesque moment
capturing a peace of love
and a slice of lust

-Ridz
3.07am

Of old wounds healed but not forgotten.

Several months ago, I stumbled upon the facebook profile of the sibling of an old friend of mine. We’d probably met several times before and so I decided to click that “add” button. I don’t know why I did it considering I wasn’t very close to her.

Needless to say, I didn’t get a response. I had even genuinely asked how things were coming along. I figured, she must have clicked the ‘ignore’ button.

Somehow it saddens me.

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If you’re wondering why the dark theme, I’m in a rather sorry state right now. Professionally, things are going really well. I get my job done, I put on a smile, I strut around as if nothing in the world mattered more than pursuing ideas of world domination. Along the way, I even try to help people achieve theirs. Once in a while, I even want to give back to society.

But the truth is, I’m becoming increasingly isolated. I’ve become extremely envious of my own friends who are so much closer to each other than I am to them. It reminds me of a time when I had a good friend. He was someone I confided much of my worries with. Alas, a time came when it became rather clear that such regard was one-way.

It was then that I realised that just because someone is my friend doesn’t necessarily mean that I’m theirs.

It was a sad realisation.

And somehow it’s something i’m re-feeling all over again…I was deeply saddened when a good friend of mine and I had a miscommunication of sorts and he insinuated that I only went for events to network. Sure. That has some truth. I do go to events for work so that I can get in touch with people from similar industries. But we were talking about my closest friends here. For someone from the inside to make such a suggestion, it just crushed me.

It was then that I came to a few more disappointing realisations about the nature of my relationships with the people that mattered most to me…

Perhaps it’s a result of everyone moving on to a new phase in their lives.
Or maybe it’s just how different our lifestyles are.
Or it could be that it’s just how things are meant to be.

Either way, the part of me that matters most seems to be becoming more isolated. Compartmentalised. Like a beautifully locked box with a brittle key.

Note: I know I’d private entries that were accessible to certain registered users. Well, I’ve stopped blogging private entries and have instead taken my private blogging elsewhere and under a pseudonym. Sorry. I needed my anonymity back.

and so the sun has set. And I feel like i’m back right where I started.

I need to learn to suck it up. I can’t have everything I want.

Divine Photographer

I was leaving the house when it started to rain. Soon, lightning flashes emerged. I couldn’t help but think that perhaps once in a while God, too, takes pictures of the world…

Would you like a Flickr account, sir?

Musicovery…an alternative to pandora

Just found out from a friend about Musicovery.com

While I still prefer pandora, I think this is something i’ll be using for quite some time… =)

Saved my morning…and because it’s monday, it might have just saved the week too =)

monday bleaghs.

Anger. Hopeless-ness. Irritation. Hope. Fatigue. Sadness. All rolled into one.

That’s how I’m feeling right now. I don’t know how i’ve come to wake up to this terrible Monday morning but it’s here.

I went to bed a few hours ago feeling all excited about life in general but somehow that’s all gone now.

I’m extremely irritable right now.
and i’m very anti-social.
today wasn’t supposed to be like this.

Feeling Lucky

Sitting in a cafe with good music in your ears at the end of a long day is one of the best feeling one could ask for. Short of spending it with your special someone, it’s like having the world just pass you by and invisible wind blow in your face telling you that you’ve earned this day.

It makes me wonder about the nature of struggles. It’s something so gut-wrenching but it’s so satisfying at the same time. Yet, if you fall too deeply in love with that feeling, you end up becoming an adrenaline junkie doing things simply for the thrill. “Fight hard” they say. But we also need to pick our battles.

I’m here.

Every day has become a momentous day for me. Each one reminding me that, ever since I made the decision to take the non-mainstream path towards my future, what I do today is truly a defining moment. Through my glasses I see a world that’s so full of hope. A world where people are excited to live. A world where people can’t wait to lunge forward towards happiness. A world that can’t wait to heal itself regardless of the cost.

Maybe it’s just the first couple of days of 2008 and i’m still filled with the optimism that this year will be a year of good things for people. Yes. I say that despite all the talks of sanctions in Iran, recession in the States, price hikes and crazy inflation in Singapore, and violence Kenya.

I’m here in a cafe.

A place that i’ve grown accustomed to since I was in my early secondary school days. A place where I found many first loves - that bittersweet taste of coffee, that bittersweet taste of romance and most recently that bittersweet taste of dreams. I think one day after achieving all that i’ve set out to achieve, all I really want is to own a coffee joint where I can hang around with the customers over a cup and maybe listen to their stories for the day. Heck, maybe they’d hear my stories too. =)

I’m here in a cafe writing and fantasizing about the days to come…

and I feel really lucky to be alive.