Pressing the WRONG Button

It happened on the same day! Yes, had heart attack for twice nearly!

Having been in the same environment for more than 2 years, know are the buttons to avoid - at least, that will trigger strings of unpleasant or hard words.

I still remember, last year, shared this in one of those 'closed door' meetings... that, when the day starts with the wrong foot, that's it! It's going to spoil the rest of the day.

One thing to avoid, or I should say, it's a taboo... is to talk about technical skills when commenting on workshop. Yes, as practitioners, we know that it's something avoidable, but knowing will get a sure-whack when talk about it, then avoid it! Or if die die must talk about it, then please re-position it! Ask thyself, apart from the ICT planning workshop, which workshop does not touch on technical skills?

On the other hand, it also gives an indication of where one's interest lies! You mean, that's the only thing that caught your attention??? Maybe, I could not bring out the essence of the workshop? or was it because you are not paying enough attention? I wonder...

Similarly, when dealing with teachers (or even HODs), beware of words that will cause backfire! Sense their reaction... Thumb of the rule, avoid words that will cause 'unrest'! Imagine, homework is tough enough... then don't talk about deliverable! They don't owe us any deliverable at all! So, being able to re-position the task, using the intent is very very important and crucial to garner acceptance!

Just thinking... to run a workshop well, give thy soul and heart... your participants can feel it... Give enough thoughts to it... yes, agree it's going to be time-consuming and may not even generate any 'benefits'... however, is this what we hope to get if we are the participants of a workshop? This is part of Service Excellence...

年年有今日

Symptoms of moving into the new 'age' - for the first time, I left my file in the office... Oops! the materials (including the attendance list!). OK, lucky have my thumbdrive with me :D Phew!

an e-card from Li Lian :D

Lunar New Year

Recent years, rarely leave the house on the 2nd day of the Lunar New Year. Went to Tampines Mall on the way home. Hey! It's opened... the busy crowd before the new year was not there... Most of the shops were closed - except the eateries... MacDonald, KFC, Pizza Hut, BreadTalk, Fish & Co... Oh yes, Giordano adn Bossini were opened!

The Legend 传奇

Stumble upon this performance while doing my routine scan at the SISTIC website... ha! This is not a musical... but it looked interesting - the GRAND SHADOW PLAY... that's how it sells... and it's a LEGEND.

The theatre was not even 50% filled - probably it's matinee and also the 2nd day of the Lunar New Year... but I thought, the Category B ticket is good enough - ok, I got the best Cat B ticket - the 1st row of the Category B section in the middle, and right at the centre, and lots of space for the legs! (J15). Hahaha... also got a good view of the entire stage! In fact, Category A ticket will be a bit too close to the screen...

It started with the "Crane and Tortise" - a special curtain-up show. Everything's behind the 'screen' but coloured! amazing! Isn't it? My assumption is - Shadow Play is really shadow! No! No! No! It's not the grey shadow. It's coloured!!! Haha... Coloured Shadow? True!

The movement was so real! The crane's neck, the frogs jumping, and the flying butterflies! It's really like watching the 2D cartoons! So interesting So 栩栩如生... watching it live! It's a real treat for someone who have only seen such on TV! Oh yes, the cheeky tortoise and the crane - it earned some chuckles from children around :D

In fact, I was a bit blur... though got the brochure quite sometime ago, only noticed about the "Crane and Tortise" starter... did not know what's the main course - only until saw the huge title casted on the screen - 观世音传奇 . So, the 传奇 is about the Buddha "慈行". Vaguely, I think I watched the black and white cantonese movie on this in my primary school days.

I thought the shadow play can be dull... not really... I'm impressed by some of the minute details that the group did to make it a great show - the movement of the leading ladies were pretty real! When they kneel down or sit down... ok, except they walked a bit too fast! We could see the grains of rice - from the spoon to the baby's mouth; the lighting of fire for cooking.

Oh yes, towards the end, the puppets came to the foreground - when they had to cross mountains and ocean... OK, there came the 3D dragon!

Well, overall, it's a treat to the eyes - although the singing is a bit too highly pitched... er... a bit like 京剧. For a moment, I'm glad I could understand and speak mandarin - so as to appreciate this kind of art that is fighting a losing battle to technology.