Watching Korea drama has become the 'latest' indulgence, however, it's limited to the holidays :)
It's pretty interesting to see how the Japanese and Korean have taken turn to be the entertainment scene/ landscape, at least in Asia... hm... so far, not aware of the influx from China... hm... probably because we have been 'immersed' in it already?
Undeniably, Korean dramas does have its magical elements... I think the look of the actor/ actress would be the first 'entry' point - if their look has not caught the attention, why one bothers to follow? Isn't that what the first survival element of this profession? Hm... We would have to recognise the fact that different kinds of look appeals to different kinds of audience. Basically, they are pretty and charming :) and their look is quite 'enduring'... over time... haha... (I would not have thought of using the word 'enduring' here!)
The other thing which I notice that fans look out for the kind of image their idols portray, that is "healthy" and "kind". Well, who is not attracted to internal beauty, and now what's more, it's both external & internal beauty that come together! Haha... Sometimes, I guess that's the 'image' that the artistes' companies would work hard on in order to open the market of their artiste beyond the country. One observation is, the role the actor/ actress play has a common trait to enforce the fans' liking of them: righteous, courageous and romantic :) Of course, "flowery" news could be damaging to the artiste too! Of course, not forgetting the storyline, too!
For example, since a couple of years ago, I started following 权相宇 Kwon Sang Woo 's dramas. Though roles he played has been pretty consistent in enforcing good image of a romantic guy. the story line has been quite different and varied - as such I would keep an eye on the latest drama/ movie, and I enjoyed; especially the more recent drama (2011) Dae Mul. Unfortunately, when I watch the latest drama, Yawang, it's like watching a 2-in-1 drama - from the "Cinderella Boy" and "Dae Mul"! Of course, the not too long ago news about the artiste for car accident had of course discounted their image, too. In another note, there were also artistes who ran into the less desirable news had got tarnish their image amongst their friends too.
On another note, last year, since watching "Can you hear my heart" another Korean drama, this actor金载元 Kim Jae Won caught my attention, too! It started off with the character he played, and coincidentally another drama started to run, and I followed... that's where I got to learn how he was like through the thoughts and sharing of his fans! Interesting... and it's the first time I started 'digging' the dramas that he played a role, dated all the way back to the ones as old as 2001! Interesting trace! That's where we see how a beautiful face turned into a charming one as one ages... and I think it came through the national service that he went through over the period of about 2 years. I can image how much the artiste company has put in to ensure their artiste maintain the popularity, as well as the effort that the fans put in to keep everyone in the loop of what he does... basically, there's at least one posting everyday! Really want to salute these fans! Of course, have to thank these fans for uploading the clips of the old dramas that has enabled me to catch up with the my new idol's past projects :)
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Thursday, February 14, 2013
14 February 2013
Here's the pleasant surprise that awaited me when I arrived at my work station in the morning. Coincidentally, all belong to the same "category" - Food! haha... Still have no idea whether they came from 3 different people or 2 or 1? Really appreciate the thoughtfulness... probably the secret guardian(s) had read the crystal ball that it's going to be a busy day (which came out to be true) and these would feed me well for the day :D
I could not resist, and these two pieces of cakes became my breakfast (II)! Unfortunately, by the time I notice the piece of sweet biscuit underneath, I could not figure out the words... It's a pity... Anyone can decipher? Well, the sweetness stays :) Thanks to ....
And of course, the sandwiches from mum became my lunch :)
Here's the other one that saved my day after my meeting that ended at 7 pm! Without this, I would probably have to re-sort to cup-a-soup... Nice pie with a taste of sweetness.... Thanks to ....
BTW, I'm still taking time to eat the cookies :) Thanks to ....
The day concluded with the nice ice cream cake at home.... er.... don't count the candles ;P
Apart from the 'concrete' items above... There are virtual ones! Thanks for all the birthday greetings from friends around, be it they are near or far :)
Of course, not forgetting the songs that are still ringing in my ears...
Thanks to everyone, for making the day a memorable one!
And of course, the sandwiches from mum became my lunch :)
Here's the other one that saved my day after my meeting that ended at 7 pm! Without this, I would probably have to re-sort to cup-a-soup... Nice pie with a taste of sweetness.... Thanks to ....
BTW, I'm still taking time to eat the cookies :) Thanks to ....
My collection of Doraemon has grown!!! Thanks to .... for the cute one!
Here's the first Dorae-mi! Cute cute... that makes a good combination with the Doraemon (above)! Thanks to ....
The day concluded with the nice ice cream cake at home.... er.... don't count the candles ;P
Apart from the 'concrete' items above... There are virtual ones! Thanks for all the birthday greetings from friends around, be it they are near or far :)
Of course, not forgetting the songs that are still ringing in my ears...
Thanks to everyone, for making the day a memorable one!
Sunday, February 03, 2013
Change is Constant
This is the first lesson I learnt in the recent trip to Chiang Mai.
Frankly speaking, though Thailand is one of our neighbours (geographically), it's only second visit to the country. The first visit was about 20 years ago, I think, with Chai Noi, Teck Siew and hubby. It was a short one in Bangkok. Shopping and eating were the key items in the itinerary then. We visited a couple of temples. What stayed in the memory was "traffic jam" and "steep steps" beyond imagination (when I was almost stranded in one of the temples)! Haha... There was no opportunity to really interact with the locals as much as this time, so was the culture!
If I recall correctly, "Change is Constant" was something that ex-MM LKY forewarned the nation about the need to be adaptive and sensitive to changes around us so that we can keep up to the changes and stay ahead of others - that's for survival! While many a time, back in Singapore, we jokingly talk about having to manage the change, it's more towards our reaction to changes rather than it's a culture. On the other hand, this trip, having immersed in "the way" how things work out in an international conference, I was surprised that this applied to plans even for big events like this! Interesting! Maybe, such comments only come from people who live by highly structured routines? Hm...
The programme changed... and it was certainly quite different from what was emailed over sometime ago. In particular, my slot... haha... anyway, it was a blessing in disguise :) But I guess the one who worked hardest were my Thai counterparts. The first time I met them, immediately after hopping into the car from the airport to the hotel, I was informed of the change in the itinerary. After lunch break, there were updates to what I was told. Haha... that's when I appreciate technology, where I could just ask for the latest copy of the programme to be emailed to me whenever there was any update. Along the way, there were changes to plans; ok, plans that were not critical... but I learnt to adapt, which reminded me of times in Paro :)
Of course, another lesson learnt is to "be prepared"... especially in times of uncertainty; it's also coupled with assumptions made and being unfamiliar with the context. The assumption, based on almost all conferences that I attended to-date, that a keynote would be 'solo'; so here, with 3 names on placed under the same item, my assumption was, it's a panel discussion. Fortunately, I dd not take the risk and the last minute decision to come up with a presentation was the right move! Of course, this built on the work done over the past couple of years :) So, no effort is too little effort; anytime, the effort paid off :)
All in all, it's an opportunity to 'sharpen' my adaptability :)
I survived :)
Frankly speaking, though Thailand is one of our neighbours (geographically), it's only second visit to the country. The first visit was about 20 years ago, I think, with Chai Noi, Teck Siew and hubby. It was a short one in Bangkok. Shopping and eating were the key items in the itinerary then. We visited a couple of temples. What stayed in the memory was "traffic jam" and "steep steps" beyond imagination (when I was almost stranded in one of the temples)! Haha... There was no opportunity to really interact with the locals as much as this time, so was the culture!
If I recall correctly, "Change is Constant" was something that ex-MM LKY forewarned the nation about the need to be adaptive and sensitive to changes around us so that we can keep up to the changes and stay ahead of others - that's for survival! While many a time, back in Singapore, we jokingly talk about having to manage the change, it's more towards our reaction to changes rather than it's a culture. On the other hand, this trip, having immersed in "the way" how things work out in an international conference, I was surprised that this applied to plans even for big events like this! Interesting! Maybe, such comments only come from people who live by highly structured routines? Hm...
The programme changed... and it was certainly quite different from what was emailed over sometime ago. In particular, my slot... haha... anyway, it was a blessing in disguise :) But I guess the one who worked hardest were my Thai counterparts. The first time I met them, immediately after hopping into the car from the airport to the hotel, I was informed of the change in the itinerary. After lunch break, there were updates to what I was told. Haha... that's when I appreciate technology, where I could just ask for the latest copy of the programme to be emailed to me whenever there was any update. Along the way, there were changes to plans; ok, plans that were not critical... but I learnt to adapt, which reminded me of times in Paro :)
Of course, another lesson learnt is to "be prepared"... especially in times of uncertainty; it's also coupled with assumptions made and being unfamiliar with the context. The assumption, based on almost all conferences that I attended to-date, that a keynote would be 'solo'; so here, with 3 names on placed under the same item, my assumption was, it's a panel discussion. Fortunately, I dd not take the risk and the last minute decision to come up with a presentation was the right move! Of course, this built on the work done over the past couple of years :) So, no effort is too little effort; anytime, the effort paid off :)
All in all, it's an opportunity to 'sharpen' my adaptability :)
I survived :)
What's the Motivation behind this?
I guess this notion of 'chasing' KPI that are not meaningful has been quite distant to me... and no wonder I responded with surprise when something along that line surfaced in a recent discussion. Actually, the discussion did not talk about the KPI, but it's about an 'initiative' that created "KPIs" for many to fulfill, and eventually evolved to become an 'exercise' that lose its meaning to many (because of the way it was driven).
We know that educators are very well supported by the Ministry of Education. Agree or not? One can easily made a comparison with countries in the region. MOE is far-sighted and recognised, way ahead of many, the importance to provide resources, in a large scale, to teachers in Singapore. While 'centrally' it started with its eduMall (long long ago, that evolved into eduMall 2.0, then ICT connection, and now integrated into OPAL), it gives schools in the zone to develop its one resource repository, in the spirit of bottom-up support to teachers as well. Of course, this good intent was supported by many... nevertheless, the coin has 2 sides, while it encourages educators to share their ideas (actually the more the merrier), it also created 'pressure' whereby some institutions set targets in terms of the number of learning materials to be put up. There it goes! We know what happened when numbers just went up and there is no quality control unit to take care of the standard or quality of materials put up too! I'm not saying that the materials put up are of low quality, but the point is, the quality of materials spans across a wide range! We have many good materials (I believe their are exemplars), but we also have materials that have much more room for improvement.
In fact, one way to find out if the material is of certain quality is through the number of downloads. I believe there were materials that sat in such repositories and no one had ever even open and view the file! So, that speaks volume.
Back to the discussion, one of the members spoke about encouraging colleagues to refer and download the resources in those repositories. I was surprised! Because as I draw a parallel to what was prepared by the MOE, why this repositories (when it was not QC-ed at all) as compared to one where the quality was assured?! Is it because of ignorance? or was it because the institution has already contributed a significant number of resources that are awaiting for 'visitors' to patronise (and download)? OK, I'm just making ungrounded second guess... I did not bother to clarify the intent, because in the first place, I did not see it being meaningful to direct others' attention to resources that are not QC-ed, compared to one that has been 'rubber-stamped' as 'quality resources' that we are proud of...
We know that educators are very well supported by the Ministry of Education. Agree or not? One can easily made a comparison with countries in the region. MOE is far-sighted and recognised, way ahead of many, the importance to provide resources, in a large scale, to teachers in Singapore. While 'centrally' it started with its eduMall (long long ago, that evolved into eduMall 2.0, then ICT connection, and now integrated into OPAL), it gives schools in the zone to develop its one resource repository, in the spirit of bottom-up support to teachers as well. Of course, this good intent was supported by many... nevertheless, the coin has 2 sides, while it encourages educators to share their ideas (actually the more the merrier), it also created 'pressure' whereby some institutions set targets in terms of the number of learning materials to be put up. There it goes! We know what happened when numbers just went up and there is no quality control unit to take care of the standard or quality of materials put up too! I'm not saying that the materials put up are of low quality, but the point is, the quality of materials spans across a wide range! We have many good materials (I believe their are exemplars), but we also have materials that have much more room for improvement.
In fact, one way to find out if the material is of certain quality is through the number of downloads. I believe there were materials that sat in such repositories and no one had ever even open and view the file! So, that speaks volume.
Back to the discussion, one of the members spoke about encouraging colleagues to refer and download the resources in those repositories. I was surprised! Because as I draw a parallel to what was prepared by the MOE, why this repositories (when it was not QC-ed at all) as compared to one where the quality was assured?! Is it because of ignorance? or was it because the institution has already contributed a significant number of resources that are awaiting for 'visitors' to patronise (and download)? OK, I'm just making ungrounded second guess... I did not bother to clarify the intent, because in the first place, I did not see it being meaningful to direct others' attention to resources that are not QC-ed, compared to one that has been 'rubber-stamped' as 'quality resources' that we are proud of...
Tuesday, January 01, 2013
First Blog Post in 2013
I didn't manage to pen down my thoughts to conclude the year before 1 January 2013 00:00.
From another light, I've started penning down my very first post in 2013 just minutes after 2013 00:00
Yes, I'm still awake at this hour... quite rare for an earlier bird like me :)
What are they doing? Hm... I don't know... about work? Hm... I was kept awake because of work too! Yes, I was trying to beat an extended deadline! Haha... and the submission got to be online. So, I hit the submit button at 23:59. Wow! This time sounds familiar? Oh yes, it's the deadline that I used to give to students for online submission of work! OK, like it or not, it's 'karma' or in worse off term, a 'retribution'? Hm...
Have 'crossed' over from Y2012 to Y2013. So, is it the time to celebrate? To celebrate that Y2012 is over? or celebrate that Y2013 has arrived? #iwonder.
Popped into the 2 Facebook accounts... it's not difficult to identify those who are still "alive" at this hour.
Let's see what the youths today got to say? They are welcoming the new year!
In particular, I like the what Adil said... it's like he has been waiting just for that moment to 'become' :) In other words, there's a 'target' or something to look forward to...
While there are so many from the youths, the number at the other Facebook where the adults are certainly reflect a more 'mature' view of life... many were looking back and wishing for the better in the new year. So, naive or not? The youths only look forward. Or it's simply because the adults are the more "worrying"/ "concern" lot who wished the not-so-good things shall be left in the past year? Hm... Interesting perspective, isn't it?
Y2013, to me is kick-started by a pleasant surprise from Bhutan. Yes, it's a present that's 可遇而不可求。It's exciting to talk and certainly rare for 2 different persons from 2 time zones talking to each other, with one still lived in Y2012 while the other already stepped into Y2013.
Thanks to Phuntsho!
Bhutanese Time
Singapore Time
Well, hope that more pleasant surprises along the way.
In fact, to look back, Y2012 was a very tough year when I fell? No, I dived (with the impact) into the deep valley that I could not see light... It's a very tough year... with more than 50% of the time depressing. It was emotionally draining as well. Yes, it was... so much so that I wanted to skip not just days or weeks, but years!!! It was also a tough year that I face to face with harsh reality... It had been emotionally and mentally challenging! Basically it was not a good year.
Oh yes, I brought a decision over from Y2011 that led me made a decision (to some extent, was driven to made such a decision), changed the decision (because I was reminded of the larger purpose that probably worth the risk), and now, still unsure if I've made the right decision (which I think 2013 will tell me more).
On the other hand, not to overshadowed by the dark clouds and storm, I had my blessings to count too! I must be grateful to have good people around who attempted to encourage me and shower me with little present surprises in those no good days! Heartfelt appreciation to the people around me! Definitely, the awards and promotions had brought cheers to me, these were affirmation of the hard work put in, accumulated over time. They came in timely to lift up the days a little, though sometimes I made myself to think twice, if these are really things to cheer about.
Well, Y2012 is now the past... receiving the PRESENT Y2013 :)
From another light, I've started penning down my very first post in 2013 just minutes after 2013 00:00
Yes, I'm still awake at this hour... quite rare for an earlier bird like me :)
Well, I'm not alone... a look at the 'chat' box in the school email... these are the people who are still wide awake! Well, there could be more... those who are 'hidden' secretly :P
What are they doing? Hm... I don't know... about work? Hm... I was kept awake because of work too! Yes, I was trying to beat an extended deadline! Haha... and the submission got to be online. So, I hit the submit button at 23:59. Wow! This time sounds familiar? Oh yes, it's the deadline that I used to give to students for online submission of work! OK, like it or not, it's 'karma' or in worse off term, a 'retribution'? Hm...
Have 'crossed' over from Y2012 to Y2013. So, is it the time to celebrate? To celebrate that Y2012 is over? or celebrate that Y2013 has arrived? #iwonder.
Popped into the 2 Facebook accounts... it's not difficult to identify those who are still "alive" at this hour.
Let's see what the youths today got to say? They are welcoming the new year!
In particular, I like the what Adil said... it's like he has been waiting just for that moment to 'become' :) In other words, there's a 'target' or something to look forward to...
While there are so many from the youths, the number at the other Facebook where the adults are certainly reflect a more 'mature' view of life... many were looking back and wishing for the better in the new year. So, naive or not? The youths only look forward. Or it's simply because the adults are the more "worrying"/ "concern" lot who wished the not-so-good things shall be left in the past year? Hm... Interesting perspective, isn't it?
Y2013, to me is kick-started by a pleasant surprise from Bhutan. Yes, it's a present that's 可遇而不可求。It's exciting to talk and certainly rare for 2 different persons from 2 time zones talking to each other, with one still lived in Y2012 while the other already stepped into Y2013.
Thanks to Phuntsho!
Bhutanese TimeWell, hope that more pleasant surprises along the way.
In fact, to look back, Y2012 was a very tough year when I fell? No, I dived (with the impact) into the deep valley that I could not see light... It's a very tough year... with more than 50% of the time depressing. It was emotionally draining as well. Yes, it was... so much so that I wanted to skip not just days or weeks, but years!!! It was also a tough year that I face to face with harsh reality... It had been emotionally and mentally challenging! Basically it was not a good year.
Oh yes, I brought a decision over from Y2011 that led me made a decision (to some extent, was driven to made such a decision), changed the decision (because I was reminded of the larger purpose that probably worth the risk), and now, still unsure if I've made the right decision (which I think 2013 will tell me more).
On the other hand, not to overshadowed by the dark clouds and storm, I had my blessings to count too! I must be grateful to have good people around who attempted to encourage me and shower me with little present surprises in those no good days! Heartfelt appreciation to the people around me! Definitely, the awards and promotions had brought cheers to me, these were affirmation of the hard work put in, accumulated over time. They came in timely to lift up the days a little, though sometimes I made myself to think twice, if these are really things to cheer about.
Well, Y2012 is now the past... receiving the PRESENT Y2013 :)
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Blogging on the Move
This is my first trial post from mobile blogger (from my iPhone) to include the location in the post... To test out an alternative method to tell the world that I'm on the move :)
Saturday, October 13, 2012
2 weeks ago this time...
Went to the Airport apps. the display showed the departure flight to Narita. I was at Changi airport, just checked in for my flight to New York.
Indeed, this trip reminded me of my study trip to London in 2007 with SS :)
(Note: first posting from my mobile phone blogger apps)
Indeed, this trip reminded me of my study trip to London in 2007 with SS :)
(Note: first posting from my mobile phone blogger apps)
Sunday, October 07, 2012
环境。想法。看法。
这次的纽约一行，让我对一些解不开的迷有更深一层的认识。当然，
在纽约，可以看到极富有的，周身名牌挂帅的，
生活素质的差异，塑造了不同人的思想和行为。
在仔细地看看周围的人，很多时候，
有朋友是＂识货者＂，因此周身都是名牌。当然，
其实，有时真的不了解他们的思想。譬如说，
有些人，也用牌子来衡量自己的生活素质。有些朋友，
Isn't this a 'need' vs a 'want'?
〜纽约归途杂想
在纽约，可以看到极富有的，周身名牌挂帅的，
生活素质的差异，塑造了不同人的思想和行为。
在仔细地看看周围的人，很多时候，
有朋友是＂识货者＂，因此周身都是名牌。当然，
其实，有时真的不了解他们的思想。譬如说，
有些人，也用牌子来衡量自己的生活素质。有些朋友，
Isn't this a 'need' vs a 'want'?
〜纽约归途杂想
傻瓜。追梦。
在一些人的眼里，我也许是个傻瓜。其实我也不否认。
临时改变初衷，已经不是第一次了。而且，
在很多人的眼里，我是个很理智的人。可是，我的任性，偶尔，必要时，
追梦，是要付出代价的。
因为追梦，我会任性，我也会付出代价。。。
因为，没有人知道最终的战绩。
也许，这是我唯一会去赌它一把的吧！
〜纽约归途杂想
临时改变初衷，已经不是第一次了。而且，
在很多人的眼里，我是个很理智的人。可是，我的任性，偶尔，必要时，
追梦，是要付出代价的。
因为追梦，我会任性，我也会付出代价。。。
因为，没有人知道最终的战绩。
也许，这是我唯一会去赌它一把的吧！
〜纽约归途杂想
Tuesday, October 02, 2012
My "Happy-Buy" in this NYC Trip... ChromeBook
This is one of the rare few items that I had the urge to buy... :)
It's not because I am a fan of new electronics stuff, which most of my friends knew or those who do not know me so well assumed that I do :P One of the 'evidences' is I only own my iPhone 4S after almost 6 months after it was released; and I think probably I'll 'skip' the next couple of 'versions'/'models' before I move on to another one.
I don't have an eye for electronics, and I hardly go for the latest... the "buy" is largely derived from "needs"; and even if it's a "want", it's after much thinking... and certainly, I'm never one of those who would line up outside the store for any new release :)
The Chromebook, on the other hand, has caught my attention when it was first introduced by Suan Yeo in one of our discussions in the school. Definitely, in terms of weight, it does not qualify if one is looking for portability. In terms of look... hm... it looked like a normal notebook. So, not attractive, right? In fact, it was 'lacking' to a large extent, for those who likes to work with applications in the computer.
On the other hand, I guess it's the simple and minimalistic feature that caught my attention - of course, not for my personal use, but for my nephew and even possibly my parents - people who do not require much computing power, but just to surf the web! That's beautiful isn't it? It saved us the hassle of making sure the latest anti-virus software to be updated (when you talk about everything's in the web); and another feature I like most is... I'm free from the hassle of upgrading the OS all the time - the different versions of Windows, or the different 'animals' (in the Mac OS)! This, in fact, is the greatest 'draw' :)
Unfortunately, such device is not available in the Singapore store. Haiz... and probably will not be shipped over to Singapore (owing to the fact that it's an electronic item that comes with battery). Actually, I learnt that it's not easy to get it in US too... But, thanks to Aurelius who actually hunt the Chromebook down - at "Best Buy"... I guess, it's my happiest buy in this trip... not that I've gotten something ahead of others, but it's something that I see is designed to suit the needs of a specific group of users very well.
Chromebook could be the trendsetter of how most users are going to behave (moving into cloud) in the near future; I still believe that non-cloud devices are still here to stay. Basically, it serves a growing niche of clientele.
It's not because I am a fan of new electronics stuff, which most of my friends knew or those who do not know me so well assumed that I do :P One of the 'evidences' is I only own my iPhone 4S after almost 6 months after it was released; and I think probably I'll 'skip' the next couple of 'versions'/'models' before I move on to another one.
I don't have an eye for electronics, and I hardly go for the latest... the "buy" is largely derived from "needs"; and even if it's a "want", it's after much thinking... and certainly, I'm never one of those who would line up outside the store for any new release :)
The Chromebook, on the other hand, has caught my attention when it was first introduced by Suan Yeo in one of our discussions in the school. Definitely, in terms of weight, it does not qualify if one is looking for portability. In terms of look... hm... it looked like a normal notebook. So, not attractive, right? In fact, it was 'lacking' to a large extent, for those who likes to work with applications in the computer.
On the other hand, I guess it's the simple and minimalistic feature that caught my attention - of course, not for my personal use, but for my nephew and even possibly my parents - people who do not require much computing power, but just to surf the web! That's beautiful isn't it? It saved us the hassle of making sure the latest anti-virus software to be updated (when you talk about everything's in the web); and another feature I like most is... I'm free from the hassle of upgrading the OS all the time - the different versions of Windows, or the different 'animals' (in the Mac OS)! This, in fact, is the greatest 'draw' :)
Unfortunately, such device is not available in the Singapore store. Haiz... and probably will not be shipped over to Singapore (owing to the fact that it's an electronic item that comes with battery). Actually, I learnt that it's not easy to get it in US too... But, thanks to Aurelius who actually hunt the Chromebook down - at "Best Buy"... I guess, it's my happiest buy in this trip... not that I've gotten something ahead of others, but it's something that I see is designed to suit the needs of a specific group of users very well.
Chromebook could be the trendsetter of how most users are going to behave (moving into cloud) in the near future; I still believe that non-cloud devices are still here to stay. Basically, it serves a growing niche of clientele.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)