The rich & famous are not necessarily great men. Some may be born
great or have greatness thrust upon them, but true greatness is through
personal achievement. Attaining wealth is not life’s only goal. it is however welcome as a by-product.
Capitalism may well lead to the moral degradation of the society.
The Mainland Chinese, as advocated by Deng Xiaoping, are driven
towards wealth & capitalism. Singaporeans are less in the same hot pursuit.
A man’s success in life is not only measured in the accumulation of wealth. If wealth is the basis, you can’t even compare Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, or Mahatma Gandhi with Mao Zedong. All of them are or were great and successful in life, but for very different reasons.
There are other intrinsic values to be considered, beyond the materialistic realm that the capitalistic world craved. These far outreaching values encompass many areas:
1. a man’s strength of character substantiated by
basic human goodness
2. faith & courage
3. philosophy & humulity
4. vision & creativeness
5. persistence & tenancity
6. talents
A man is thus judged by a composite set of values. Basically, for the great majority, one can succeed beyond all measures when he fulfills his role and responsibilities as a son, husband, father, grandfather and hopefully great- grandfather. You don’t have to be rich to feel fulfilled and happy. After all riches will not follow you to eternity, but a rich legacy ensures posterity in perpetuity.
As the Great Wall of China is the father of motherland’s frontier protection,
the Grand Canal is no less the mother of China’s cultural heritage.
Also known as Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal.
Like the Great Wall of China, the Grand Canal can boast of its great engineering feat, second to none. It was started in 486 BC during the Zhou Dynasty, stretching over a distance from north to south of some 1200 miles or 1794 Km, surpassing the other two grand canals of the world: Suez & Panama, making it the world’s longest man-made waterway in ancient China.
It’s a great engineering hydraulic project by today’s standard, featuring the construction of seven “locks” to overcome different geographical heights. The Grand Canal begins in Beijing & ends south in Hangzhou, connecting the northern capitals to the productive southern region. China’s major rivers, Yangtze River & The Yellow River, run mainly from west to east. It’s a lifeline for administration & defense, economic & cultural heritage, culminating in the emergence of Tang Dynasty (618-907) as the most powerful state in the world.
There’s a famous saying in China: “Up there’s Heaven, down there’s beauty” (referring to the great beauties in Suzhou & Hangzhou). The Grand Canal provided then that great passage way for the Emperors & court officials to the southern paradise.
The Grand Canal offers travellers the best means for enjoying the magnificent scenery of the country seen along the river towns. By taking a boat cruise, you can see ancient dwellings, historical relics, and stone bridges, while being served mouth-watering, authentic Chinese food.
We took the boat in December 1998 up the Canal from Hangzhou to Suzhou, delighting ourselves in what ancient emperors had done before us, affording us too the opportunity to compare it with the cruise along the famous Li River in Quilin or the Yangtze Cruise of the Three Gorges. Each is a worthwhile experience, unique on its own.
If you have climbed The Great Wall of China, you need to complete your tour of China significantly with the cruise of the Grand Canal, as like a time traveller back in time to the present, and hopefully onto the future.
Ever stopped to think about not getting up the next morning after going to bed the night before?We may dream or even have nightmares whilst we sleep, but everything is vaguely remembered upon waking. I have known of people who never wake up at all – peacefully gone to be with our Heavenly Father. To think of it, this unconscious action is never within our control. So it is with our lives – like a breath it could just as easily be blown off and in its place a stiff body is all that remains.
As a further reminder of the words from the Psalms, in Psalm 144:4 it is further said: “Man is like a breath; his days are like fleeting shadow.” Like it or detest it, the Holy Book is constantly reminding us how fragile our life is. Right to the end of the Bible, just a few chapters before its end, James 4:14 has this to say:
“Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow.
What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little
while and then vanishes.”
Admittedly, we are nothing – a breath, a mist that comes and goes just as quickly as it appears. We have a life that counts for nothing. It’s futile for anyone to fail to realise the vanity of it all. King Solomon, richly endowed with wisdom and riches by God, surrounded by countless wives and concubines, even attested to this fact in all his writings as in Ecclesiastes. In our lifetime too, we have seen the tall and mighty fall, the rich and famous dead and gone. No matter how great, nobody lasts forever. Nothing is ever permanent. We are like ships that pass in the night . . . sailing in the vast ocean like going nowhere.
Shouldn’t we stop to think and ponder as we live from day to day, month to month, year to year, for life is nowhere far but near! We should grow and draw near to our Heavenly Father, for ultimately that’s where our destiny lies.
Let’s live each day in fear of the Lord. Live each day as though it’s our last. At day’s end, the shortest distance between us and God is dropping unto our knees and thank God for the blessings of the day, and then asking for His mercy and grace for the next.
“Show me, O Lord, my life’s end and the summer of my days;
When terrorists struck and sealed the fate and tragedy of the WorldTrade Centre in 2001, Pernas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia claimed the honour of being the tallest structure in the world. In 2004, Taipei’s 101 Tower then stood tallest. Its supremacy has since been dwarfed by Burj Dubai at 800 metres & then Al Burj at 1200 metres appears unassailable, especially with its capacity & provision for its height increase if & whenever challenged. Dubai is the place where oil money is transforming the desert landscape with not just the tallest structures but the most futuristic & superlative developments imaginable.
(Picture of Burj Dubai below)
Al Burj
It is all a question of national pride to have the tallest building in the world ; the biggest and best in everything is the name of the game. For instance, right now China is in a frenzy building more than half a dozen of mega shopping malls covering thousands of square metres. In terms of height, Shanghai would soon have a building superseding that of Taipei but not quite as tall to overtake those two structures in Dubai.
Taipei’s 101 Tower stands in solitude among the overall lower buildings. In general, Taipei is not a city of skyscrapers like Manhattan. By itself, it does not appear to be that awesome and tall. Further, the grey wintry polluted sky does not help to enhance the glory and splendour of the building.
In my three weeks stay in Taipei, I have been constantly reminded by the fact that Taiwan is a FREE country.¨ The word takes on the connotation of being chaotic without order – anything goes, whether it’s the traffic system, building codes, government administration or general business culture. The age of capitalism eats into every fibre of the country. One can be held to be legal in an illegal situation.
Even in Parliament, as often seen on TV, politicians put on public display their free for all prowess action with fists & blows in their furore. This is the practice of democracy not just with the mouths but with hands, fists & legs as well – male or female.
Though the city of just over two million population has multiple lanes for its traffic, chaotic u-turns and crossings spell awe for visitors. It is not unusual to expect traffic jams along major highways with motorists agonizing in long haul and delay. Urban pollution, shanty housings, homeless people sleeping around in car parks of shopping centres, railway or MRT stations are just some of the pressing problems to be eradicated in order to boost the image of Taipei as a tourist destination.
Prestigious tall 101 Tower will not sweep all the unsightliness of the city under its roof, when all the roofs and grounds of the city require due attention. However, its seediness of prostitution appeared to be swept clean without the visible & enhancing sign boards of “VD Clinic” as displayed on my first visit to Taipei in 1972.
Opinion is about the cheapest commodity in the world, freely and abundantly available. It costs nothing and people are ever willing to offer to be heard, irrespective whether they are experts on the subject or not. Of course, to be an expert takes years of study and even then nobody can claim to know everything there is to know, as knowledge is a dynamic matter that’s ever growing & changing.
As said, nobody can lay claim to know everything – not even an expert. In fact, an expert’s knowledge is so confined and restricted to his particular field of interest that he’s quite ignorant of other outside subjects. In Law itself, lawyers specialize in criminal law, corporate law & others. For this reason, often a panel of judges are advocated when dealing with an important issue.
In the early 60s, at the University of Malaya, we used to have visiting speakers like Lee Kuan Yew to address us. In one of those sessions chaired by Professor Wang Gangwu (then Chair of History), himself a fluent & eloquent speaker, this question was posed to the panel of speakers, “Who is more superior, a science student or an arts student?” The Professor responded that “though the science student may claim to be more intellectual, ultimately it’s the arts student that ends up being the boss & running the show.” Most world leaders are from the arts.
It is a verified truism that a single opinion cannot be totally acceptable. Thus in the courts of law appeals are allowable. At the High Court level, usually a panel of judges will preside over the case and a consensus opinion taken.
In any discussion, it is often difficult to see both sides of the picture. People tend to have preconceived ideas of things and hold steadfast to them. They become so dogmatic and indomitable about the whole issue that unending argument ensue. Under such a situation, it’s best not to fight it, for winning the argument may ultimately mean losing the friendship. There’s a saying “to run to live and fight another day”.
In this modern era, so-called experts are born everyday in every field of human endeavour. With IT (Information Technology) and the abundant materials freely accessible on the internet, everybody is becoming a scholar and an expert overnight.
Knowledge is dynamic and ever growing without any end in sight. You can’t know enough nor can you know it all. Sometimes, it’s hard to eat the humble pie, but eat it instead of crying over spilt milk.
Many Kirkbyites would recall the days of “Peaceful Slumber” in place of “Private Study”, the rendezvous in Kirkby Woods or along the canal, week-end coach tours to nearby places of interests, endless summer holidays in the continent . For the romantics, what sweet remembrances of whispering sweet nothing in the quiet room or the lingering at the doors of the girls’ blocks reluctantly saying good-night.
There were “bookworms” among us who buried themselves in the library trying to excel in their academic pursuit or winning trips on the “Blue Funnel”. For most in general getting a “pass” or “straight As” made no difference at all. Sadly enough, it looks like many of those “bookworms” are no longer with us. During such times as “Private Study”, our Papa Gurney used to be on the prowl and the Recreation Room was on the danger list, lest one should be caught playing billiards or snooker ( a favourite pastime with many) or table-tennis.
To the world at large, and America especially, September 11 will always be a significant and memorable date. About the same time on 15 September, some five hundred Kirkbyites gathered together for a great celebration of the past . . . a fiftieth reunion of the days gone by in the Malayan Teachers’ Training College, Kirkby in Liverpool, England. . . meeting at the Concorde Hotel in Kuala Lumpur after an absence of, for some, up to 50 years, and for us after 40 or 41 years. It’s a lifetime experience flashing through the conference room.
Recently, I heard again an old favourite song of mine “One day When We Were Young”, and it brings home the fact that we could never return to our youth . . . to the days gone by . . . when life seemed so easy and free. On this extended holidays of ours, we have managed to return to our old home-town, the old schools, the old place of work, visited old friends and colleagues who are still around. Who would have thought that some people have passed on . . . the old place had progressed beyond your own recognition. . . and misfortune had befallen among some, while some unexpected ones have gone on successfully.
College Lane by the railway track
Back to the scene at the Concorde Hotel, a comment was made that night . . .who would have thought a Kirkbyite, Bainun Mohd Ali, would one day be the Queen of Malaysia. She, presently Raja Permaisuri of Perak State in Malaysia, was most gracious to grace the occasion and posted for photographs with us all. Proudly, Kirkby College has produced many distinguished personnels in the field of human endeavour, academically and socially. Pity that such reunion had never been organised in the past. It would be good to keep the tradition going. A big thank you is in order to John Pillai (deceased) and his committee for such a task well done. Kirkyites have spread themselves to all corners of the world, though many have remained and retired in the Golden Chersonese. Keeping in touch these days electronically is so easy, instant and cheap. There is absolutely no excuse for not trying.
Most of us are or would-be grand-parents. Some unfortunately have passed on. For us who are still around, let’s not neglect meeting together regularly for the days ahead are not many. Or at least keep in close touch throughemailing.
Golf is said to be better than sex – more “sexiting”! Why then so
segregated as compared with other sports? Why its popularity?
Two novice women golfers are out on the course one day. The first tees up her ball, swing, and watches as it takes off on a 90-degree angle. It flies about 20 yards, hits a rock, bounces off a cart path, hits a tree, careens off the tree and finally comes to rest in the middle of the fairway.
“Hey!” exclaims her friend, giving her a miffed look. “Why didn’t you tell me you’ve been practicing?”
Is this the scenario to explain why fewer women play golf than men? But then why do so many men play such a frustrating game? Could this be a cultural phenomenon – a past legacy of the alpha males playing at exclusive clubs? Tennis, a traditional country-club sport, however, is now being played by nearly as many women as men. With the availability of the abundant public courses in Australia, a trend should come round to see the number of woman players on the increase.
I guess such drama, no exception with men, makes up for golf as a less action-packed sport. Yet in a typical PGA Championship, the spectators that watch the game amounts to millions including those millions that watch it on television. Golf features no body contact, unlike Aussie football, and no car crashes nor cheerleaders . . . yet men are hooked with golf, making it the most segregated sport by sex than any other.
Frustration or incompetence never seems to deter guys from becoming obsessed with it. Golf is truly a “magnificent obsession”. It is claimed that golf is better than sex. A below par performance is considered good in golf as maintained by David Letterman in his Late Night Show’s Top Ten List. Best of all, if your equipment gets old and rusty, you can replace it.
According to the List, as an encouragement to seniors, you can still make money. Three times a day is even possible and your partner doesn’t hire a lawyer if you do it with someone else. If you live in Perth, as in Florida, you can do it every day – with the exceptional wet days.
I guess nothing sells like sex. With such truism, hefty prize money awards for both men and women, great television promotions drawing an increasing large captive audience, such affordability with the opening of abundant public golf course, and the fact that once hooked you’ll be hooked for life, I dare say no other game can be as popular as golf.
Facts you may not know but may surprise & even astound you! These are great men we speak of:
Abraham Lincoln entered the Black Hawk War as a captain & came out as a private.
F. W. Woolworth got a job in a dry goods store when he 21, but his employer wouldn’t let him wait on the customers because he didn’t have enough sense.
Thomas Edison’s teachers told him he was too stupid to learn
Durian season in Malaysia & Singapore coincides with most of the other tropical fruits such as mangosteen, rambutan, langsat & manggis as from June to August.
Durian is ‘King of the Tropical Fruits’, unique in Malaysia, Thailand, Borneo & some other South East Asian countries. It is utterly delicious described as “Smells like hell but tastes heaven.” Most Westerners shun the fruit because of its odour, strong & penetrating to the point of overpoweringly offensive. Most Asians however are hooked developing an insatiable urge for it.
Durian is distinctive for its large size, unique odour & formidable thorn-covered husk. Its shape ranges from oblong to round, the colour of its husk green to brown & its flesh pale yellow to red, depending on the species.
For those of us who have long migrated from Malaysia or Singapore, our urge for durians is secondarily satisfied by the Thai variety. The Thai durians somehow taste not quite as good, possibly because they are plucked or harvested before being ripened, freight overseas & stored in frozen form. In Malaysia, only fallen ripe durians are harvested & marketed & they are really rich in taste & aroma.
These days genetic durians are available throughout the year. The imported D24 genetic variety is pricey here in Perth. As they are also in frozen state, they don’t come up to the same mark of deliciousness.
In SS2 Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, there are stores promoting eating durians in buffet style. For R$10 customers can feed themselves as much as they can eat. This is definitely good dollar value for a durian dinner.
An Exceptional Prolific Durian TreeDurians Galore – Within East Reach Off The Tree
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Health Benefits of Durian
Traditionally the durian fruit was seen as a powerful aphrodisiac, while women would eat the ashes from burnt durian skins to help them recover after child birth. But concoctions made from the leaves of the durian tree were also used to help reduce swelling and cure skin disease. More recently nutritionists have claimed that the durian fruit can help lower cholesterol andcleanse the blood as well as cure jaundice and alleviate fevers.
Experts even say that you can rid yourself of yeast infections such as thrush through eating the durian fruit. This is because of the durian’s high iron content that helps the white blood cells in our body make specific chemicals that kill off the infection.
The durian is also packed withamino acids as well as Vitamins B, C and E and many people are even comparing the sweet custard like centre of the durian fruit to the goji berry for its high levels of anti oxidants. These anti oxidants help slow down the destruction of cells from free radicals such as pollution and smoking; in doing so, they decrease the effects of aging on the skin giving you a younger more refreshed look.
Among the amino acids found inside the durian is tryptophan. Tryptophan is essential for making and maintaining serotonin levels in the body. Serotonin is the hormone in the body that regulates our happiness. People with low serotonin levels tend to have short tempers, are often moody and suffer from depression. This means that not only will eating the durian fruit help keep your body running smoothly but it will also increase your general happiness and well being.
Paul Chong's Blog 