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Avatar is a thoughtful movie about contradictions in issues of terrorism and environment.

Our life is full of such contradictions.

As we earn some, we lose some; when will the treadmill ends?

We are happier when we care about others; but less so when we care primarily for ourselves.

The capacity to care don't come easy; its within our vast potential, yet denied by our personal ambitions.

Letting go of inconsequential desires unleashes humane energy.

Our existence is built around us, and they are already here, we just have to see.

We felt so blind, that we see the world not in true form, but by colors of our own frailties.

Then our smallness becomes real; as our principal concern.

We wanted to become a better man, one who is not blind.

And life becomes a task of seeing life itself.

The power of 'Thank you'

Recently, I was awaken by the power of 'Thank you.' First was because of a study I did in China, and then an event that happened in the US. This is a personal blog so I do not want to go into that study in details. You can read my other blog.

'Thank you,' someone told you. And you immediately feels good about what you had done. It gives you a reason to do it again. How many times have we seen someone who bought or saw a nice thing in the mall, and immediately call her parents or good friends. Someone who would say 'Wow what a find? How much is it? Can you get it for me? Thank you!'

'Thank you' is a social asset. Someone's 'thank you' is worth more than the others. But the more important thing is, everyone has some 'thank you' to give to. Those that give 'thank you' readily are generous. Those that don't are social misers.

I my studies in China, I saw so many disappointed volunteers to the community who received no word of thank except picky remarks. Then they immediate think, 'why have I volunteered.' Similarly, a recent debate in the gaming space also sparked some players to flame the volunteers that 'I don't really need your crap' or something along that line. These people are worst then misers, they destroy faith and social connectedness.

'Thank you' - I will have to remember to say it. I think of all the language that we had invented, nothing connects people more than these magical two. You may say it, or bow, or smile, or maybe give something back. They all make your world a better place to live in.

Games = violence? Bah!

Within a few days, I saw computer games being blamed for violence in youth. First was about the cases in Singapore where a student slashed his professor before jumping to his death, and another student hanging himself. Second was about a German youth killing 16 others.

On the first case, a Singapore Facebook user said, "I thk we shld also start looking into the stress our kids have at home. this may includes parenting and society stress...exams...pressure. Restrict Violence Gaming is a MUST !"

On the second case, "The actual problem is violent computer games," says Georg Stiel, president of the club in Volksdorf.

"They mislead young ones, letting them shoot people and animals without being at risk themselves. I would have those games banned."

Shooting clubs, on the other hand, teach respect towards weapons as well as safety rules, gun law, discipline and patience, Mr Stiel says.

"Guns are our sports equipment. Of course they are weapons, but so are golf clubs, tennis rackets and broken bottles," he adds."

(Duh... I wonder if Mr Stiel has a choice, would he like to be hit by a golf club or a gun?)

Why computer games? Because the users are the powerless youths who can be easily lambasted, in comparison with the general adults that watched movies? Isn't TV a more widespread perpetrator of gun and violence? How about our national service (conscription to the army)? We learn how to shoot with a real gun.

My point is violence is violence, just because we could not understand our kids doesn't mean it is due to gaming. Finding a scape goat is to overlook the real issues here. We can eradicate 100 technologies that seemingly inculcated violence, but still not realize why are our kids angry.

Best place on earth for travellers

Often when we traveled, we would compare places and say, 'This place has good temperature. Not as cold as such-and-such and not too warm. It has nicer scenery, its safe, etc. That place smells and garbage piles.' After traveling so much, I finally had my conclusion of where can we find the best place on earth.

Yes, you are right - the shopping malls!

This was where I went to in Hang Zhou when I was hungry for a place to sit down and write some notes. They said that Xi Hu was nice, scenic, and a heaven on earth. I am not sure why. That day, the lake was foggy, and cold. And there the tree were bare in winter. Perhaps for those who encouraged me, their heaven had always been found in what other had.

For me, the natural thing was to hail a cab and went straight to the 'largest and most central mall.' That was what I told the cab driver, and he indeed, it never failed me.

Nice temperature, lots of lights yet not scorching, clean and safe, pretty merchandices, good food, and beautiful people - isn't that what you wanted in travels?

“Rats in Orchard Rd “ during the bull year?

Rats running abound in bull year? Looked like the bull brother is not so much in control...

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IT'S 11pm at Somerset Skate Park. The lights are off and most of the skaters have gone home. The ground is strewn with food boxes that contain scraps of fried chicken and mashed potatoes.

There is a flash of bright eyes and a rat scurries across the park, heading for the leftovers. By 2am, there are more than 10 rats scampering about.

The Skate Park is just one of several rat-prone areas to have emerged along the Orchard Road and Somerset area over the last two years, say those who work at and frequent the stretch.

http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_330364.html?vgnmr=1

About Death (by Steve Jobs)

"Death is possibly the single best invention in life. It clears out the old to make way for the new."

- Steve Jobs

敢敢做个新加坡人

那天我到了机场，正准备回美。在机场的登机口排队等着登机。大多的旅客是中国人。但在我前面站着三位二十出头左右的少女。他们讲着一口非常美式的英语。但语音中之瑕丝告诉我他们不是美国人。看一看他们手中的护照才知道她们大概是新加坡籍留学生。大概喜欢上美国的语音了吧。

我们很容易发现到，很多新加坡人非常向往西方。但他们当中很多都没有出过国。可能因为受英语教育的关系，我们学到的知识许多来自神秘而相似先进的西方。Maslow, physics, chemistry, 什么的，哪个不是什么伟大的西方科学家发明的。长大后，我们又接触了好莱坞电影，和先进的外国品牌，如microsoft, apple, google, 等。神秘的西方，仿佛是我们所追求的，是一种上层社会的象征。

在新加坡两个星期时有朋友问我，我到了美国那么久，语音怎么一点都没变？Singlish还是那么重。我说我是回来练Singlish的。不然在几年下来可能会忘了怎么说了！其实，我觉得我们没有必要隐瞒我们的文化。入乡随俗，到了国外，必然要用他们听得懂的英语，但回到自己的家乡，为何还要说别人的话呢？

在西方，尤其是居住的好些日子，你又会发现原来他们的社会中有许多在新加坡无法想象的问题。例如保安，政治腐败，医疗，不平等教育，政府部门服务欠佳，与老人被忽略等。然后再想想：新加坡哪里好，西方哪里好。我们对社会问题的角度突然出现了转机。新加坡不再落后了。我们有些方面已达到西方所做不到的了。问题不再是什么都要和他们学，而是什么该学，什么还要自己创造。

敢敢做个新加坡人。我觉得是时候开始想想我们的历史，由来，身份，和去向。政府能为我们策划很多，但路还是自己走的。如果你对自己的身份和去向明确，你就不再需要跟随任何人。新加坡已经跟了很久了，你要跟到什么时候？是时候找回自己了。

Singaporeans - homely poets and artists?

"88 per cent of children in Singapore believe that it is more important to spend time with family than to bring home a huge pay cheque," so said Straits Times, and I agree.

I was pretty surprised a while ago when a Chinese online friend told me that a man should have great ideals. I haven't really heard of Singaporean saying such things. Perhaps it is true that northern Chinese had bigger ambitions, while southern Chinese are homely poets and artists.

Don't know what to ask until you know what to ask syndrome

One of a sign of a hierarchical community is the culture of faulting someone for the mistake of not knowing. The reason is that one had not try to find out.

However, the process of finding out goes in circle with the question itself. For instance, I was surprised by the existence of the Fly America Act today, meaning flights booked through any Federal funding has to use American airlines. This defies most assumptions practiced by most communities that professionalism chooses the cheapest flight. But how would you first ask that question if you do not know it exists?

If an organization allows the defendant to argue or circumvent the rule, it is a flat organization. If the organization fault the defendant for not finding out, it is a hierarchical organization. Faulting someone for not finding out something difficult to know in the first place creates a sense of privilege to the holders of traditions - particularly those who have been there for a long time.

Not to say who is at fault or not, just my thought about how power can be created through inter-personal micro-actions.

现实与梦

我们认为我们的生命掌握在自己的手里。但当我们在现实生活中实现某种想法的时候，都会面对许多问题。有些是人为的，有些是环境没有条件让我们把工作完成。

有些人会因此觉得某某国家不好，不支持我们的梦想。但真的是国家的不是吗？

国家的基本结构是社群。在美，社群可以是公司，专业组织，家庭，学校，公会，等等。在中，社群可以是企业，家庭，学校，党，血缘关系，等等。这些结构里面的规则对人们的行为的影响是我们常常会忽略的。规则可以是社群的目标，社群的分工，和分享利益的方式。群员们不可以轻易破坏规则，否则社群可以惩罚你。而且规则的由来一定有其历史。

结果是在我们圆梦的时候，如果动用了某个社群的设施，我们就得根据它的规矩办事。规矩不容易改变的时候，我们就得变。

而改变规矩也不容易。很多人爬得越高，越被规矩约束。可以说做总统或总理的规矩最多。不然人们会推翻他们。甚至乃至断送生命。那时，我们可能就会不再设法改变，而是随着规矩办事，后来梦就变成现实。我们可能会说梦不实际。甚至在规矩中寻找漏洞，把持权力，把其政治化。

我不认为有不变得规矩，不变得社群。不变就是灭亡有日。但变得太快则会很不稳定，新规矩可能会有疏漏。我们就在这种变于不变中实行自己的梦想。梦想就在现实中变成社会产品。

新年感慨

今年，我学到了不少东西。但最大的收获，还是觉得自己其实很渺小。

渺小，是因为许多事都不再自己掌握之中。虽然往往我们可以想的很多，而且可以想到一些可能会使整个社会更好一些的方法。但是，当你开始与别人分享的时候，你可能发现一些势力，或个人的企图，使至一些社会现象称为僵局。或则其实无人主宰着这个僵局，而是人根本不想变。现在虽然辛苦，但毕竟习惯了。

当你的美丽文章要推广为现实的时候，你发现了其实该或不该已经不再是你的事了。这是大家对你的提议的了解，和接受的程度的一种结果。如果大家都能接受你的提议，可能这个提议根本不怎么新鲜。但如果过于新鲜，可能接受的人却不多。往往社会学的提议，是在于传统和创新之间出现的。

所以我渺小了。我要接受传统，接受人们的意见。跟着人们的意愿，提出自己的建议。我也接受了。这世界不是我个人的。这世界是大家的。我们一起把它建立的更美好吧！

When reality and ideal becomes far apart

I think alot, especially wrt to our society, and how it can become better. But too often, the ideal you built in your mind does not match up with reality. Reality has many people, who have their own ideals. Your ideals is but irrelevant to them.

You started thinking back to their ideals, and wondered why yours is different from theirs. Maybe you are shortsighted, maybe you wanted too much but they are simpler, maybe you wanted success but they wanted happiness...

Finally you found that you are abandoning your language and began to speak theirs. You left your ideals to the future and try to reach out to them. Perhaps they would prove you wrong, but perhaps you will prove them wrong.

Sweet is when reality and ideal becomes one again.