thinking of some stuff these days...
and wondering whether to act, and how to act...
hmmm...
Monday, December 07, 2009
Thursday, November 26, 2009
2010年1、2月要回家！
哦，最近比較忙，回到家只想看影片，所以又一小段時間沒在這裡寫update了...
那就來宣布一下好消息！
2010年1、2月行程：
1/14 - TPE to SG
1/15 - SG to Jakarta
1/17 - Jakarta to SG
1/19 - SG to TPE
這一段是為了參加好朋友在雅加達舉辦的婚禮
2/9 - TPE to SG
2/24 - SG to TPE
這一段是回家過新年的！
因為剛好台湾明年的新年是從2/14放到2/21，所以算是賺到了對幾天的假。
兩個多禮拜還算是蠻長的時間，到時候應該可以跟朋友再次碰面，順便多吃點新加坡美食 :)
而且另一個bonus就是，在台湾比較冷的那幾個月，我都已經逃出過了！ 耶！
那就來宣布一下好消息！
2010年1、2月行程：
1/14 - TPE to SG
1/15 - SG to Jakarta
1/17 - Jakarta to SG
1/19 - SG to TPE
這一段是為了參加好朋友在雅加達舉辦的婚禮
2/9 - TPE to SG
2/24 - SG to TPE
這一段是回家過新年的！
因為剛好台湾明年的新年是從2/14放到2/21，所以算是賺到了對幾天的假。
兩個多禮拜還算是蠻長的時間，到時候應該可以跟朋友再次碰面，順便多吃點新加坡美食 :)
而且另一個bonus就是，在台湾比較冷的那幾個月，我都已經逃出過了！ 耶！
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
接下來的打算...
不知不覺的，11月底要到了，這也代表我已經在台北過了 10個月了！
真的好快，多兩個月就做滿一年了！
因此，最近很多朋友都在問我接下來有什么打算...
是繼續在台湾工作呢？還是回新加坡找工作？還是留在台湾但是換個公司？留下來的話會留多久？是轉成目前公司的全職員工，還是繼續跑現在的實習計劃？問題還真的蠻多的...
所以乘機跟大家告知一下，我現在還在跟公司“研究”不同繼續在公司工作的方法（主要是研究拿到居留證或工作準證的不同process)
但是意愿是想留下來繼續工作下去，所以短期內應該不會回到新加坡工作。
不過，我明年一月份會回新加坡一下下... 1/14晚上會抵達新加坡，1/15傍晚飛往印尼，1/17傍晚回到新加坡，1/19再回到台湾。
另外，農歷新年的時候我一定會在新加坡。
所以如果要聚一聚話，還是有機會的 :)
真的好快，多兩個月就做滿一年了！
因此，最近很多朋友都在問我接下來有什么打算...
是繼續在台湾工作呢？還是回新加坡找工作？還是留在台湾但是換個公司？留下來的話會留多久？是轉成目前公司的全職員工，還是繼續跑現在的實習計劃？問題還真的蠻多的...
所以乘機跟大家告知一下，我現在還在跟公司“研究”不同繼續在公司工作的方法（主要是研究拿到居留證或工作準證的不同process)
但是意愿是想留下來繼續工作下去，所以短期內應該不會回到新加坡工作。
不過，我明年一月份會回新加坡一下下... 1/14晚上會抵達新加坡，1/15傍晚飛往印尼，1/17傍晚回到新加坡，1/19再回到台湾。
另外，農歷新年的時候我一定會在新加坡。
所以如果要聚一聚話，還是有機會的 :)
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
我“上報”了！ :)
AIESEC 北大分會09/10團隊發起月刊的電子報，剛好找我做個采訪，所以我才有機會“上報”
剛好也是我第一次用中文進行采訪，講得不是那么的好，只能希望大家還能看懂 :)
有興趣的話，可以到這看看：
http://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B6S_vaIhwdfKY2U1YzE1ZDEtYzBlOC00MGQ5LWI1MTYtZDMzZmYwZGQwY2Ri&hl=en
剛好也是我第一次用中文進行采訪，講得不是那么的好，只能希望大家還能看懂 :)
有興趣的話，可以到這看看：
http://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B6S_vaIhwdfKY2U1YzE1ZDEtYzBlOC00MGQ5LWI1MTYtZDMzZmYwZGQwY2Ri&hl=en
Monday, November 16, 2009
緊接十月台風的花蓮之旅
看了日歷記錄和上傳到facebook的照片才發現，我從六月到現在只去了
1. 嘉義縣的阿里山 - 6/27 & 6/28
2. 台北縣的烏來 - 7/12
3. 台北縣的貢寮市 （劃獨木舟）- 8/16
4. 上海和蘇州 - 8/24 至 9/18
雖然從上海回來后，確實去了桃源縣的大溪和新竹，但前者是與AIESEC身份去的，而新竹是為了工作而去的，所以都比較算是工作不是旅游。
還好十月份的時候，阿姨從新加坡來台湾玩，所以我才有動力再次出去“探險”台湾，到花莲去玩。
台湾的東部（尤其是花蓮和台東）跟西邊相比是較缺乏資源，城市與產業開發過程也比較慢。可能因為如此，東部的生活節奏感覺比較輕松，大自然也保存的很好。
我們這次到花蓮非常期待能體驗到花蓮的自然美，尤其是太鲁阁國家公園和七星譚。不幸的是，周末的前幾天剛好有台風接近，即使到了周末還是一直下雨，所以我們最后體驗到的花蓮是濕濕的。
惡劣天氣造成了很多不便，太魯閣的許多步道因有落石而被封閉，七星譚因風雨太大而不方便讓人們在譚邊散步或觀賞風景，清水斷崖也因被蒙在霧中而造成我們無法看得很清楚。
雖然覺得非常可惜，但這次的花蓮之旅也讓我們體驗到另一種美：
平時的不到應該不會出現這種狀況的!
這也是因雨水造成的小瀑布，就在我們步道旁邊
有如神仙居住的地方的美
大自然有渺小的，也有威力的美
小小的植物與強流的溪水對照
花蓮到處都是山，大量的雨水形成的瀑布就這樣從山上流下。
住在山下的居民也只能希望不會有落石、土崩之類的天災發生。
其他照片：http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=327580&id=576355703&l=dbe7e22f68
1. 嘉義縣的阿里山 - 6/27 & 6/28
2. 台北縣的烏來 - 7/12
3. 台北縣的貢寮市 （劃獨木舟）- 8/16
4. 上海和蘇州 - 8/24 至 9/18
雖然從上海回來后，確實去了桃源縣的大溪和新竹，但前者是與AIESEC身份去的，而新竹是為了工作而去的，所以都比較算是工作不是旅游。
還好十月份的時候，阿姨從新加坡來台湾玩，所以我才有動力再次出去“探險”台湾，到花莲去玩。
台湾的東部（尤其是花蓮和台東）跟西邊相比是較缺乏資源，城市與產業開發過程也比較慢。可能因為如此，東部的生活節奏感覺比較輕松，大自然也保存的很好。我們這次到花蓮非常期待能體驗到花蓮的自然美，尤其是太鲁阁國家公園和七星譚。不幸的是，周末的前幾天剛好有台風接近，即使到了周末還是一直下雨，所以我們最后體驗到的花蓮是濕濕的。
惡劣天氣造成了很多不便，太魯閣的許多步道因有落石而被封閉，七星譚因風雨太大而不方便讓人們在譚邊散步或觀賞風景，清水斷崖也因被蒙在霧中而造成我們無法看得很清楚。
雖然覺得非常可惜，但這次的花蓮之旅也讓我們體驗到另一種美：
近距離接觸到瀑布的美
平時的不到應該不會出現這種狀況的!
這也是因雨水造成的小瀑布，就在我們步道旁邊有如神仙居住的地方的美
大自然有渺小的，也有威力的美
小小的植物與強流的溪水對照
花蓮到處都是山，大量的雨水形成的瀑布就這樣從山上流下。住在山下的居民也只能希望不會有落石、土崩之類的天災發生。
其他照片：http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=327580&id=576355703&l=dbe7e22f68
Sunday, November 15, 2009
悅智亞洲 - 上海辦事處
前幾個文章都分享到9月到上海和蘇州的心得和照片，一部分的人應該會以為我是去旅行的，但是其實是為了工事而過去的。
什么工事呢？就是我們公司（悅智全球）創了分公司（悅智亞洲），并在大陸設了辦事處！
公司之前主要还是服务位于台湾的廠商，但是最近有幾個案子都包含協助廠商開拓大陸市場，或協助他們在大陸的經營。此外，在大陸和台湾關系暖和之下，兩岸的廠商對開拓彼此市場以及與對方合作的興趣也提高了。這也形成向我們這種顧問公司能提供價值服務的機會。
這次很幸運能加入公司的大陸團隊，參與一切的準備。雖然自己對大陸市場還是很陌生，對這種“創業”的過程也很不熟悉，但就因為如此而讓我吸取寶貴的學習經驗！
在這裡就順便跟大家分享我們小小開幕儀式的照片：
悅智亞洲在台北的籌備處開幕
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=328111&id=576355703&l=25e46bfd3f
悅智亞洲上海辦事處的開幕
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=316334&id=576355703&l=cd1e5e3aa8
什么工事呢？就是我們公司（悅智全球）創了分公司（悅智亞洲），并在大陸設了辦事處！
公司之前主要还是服务位于台湾的廠商，但是最近有幾個案子都包含協助廠商開拓大陸市場，或協助他們在大陸的經營。此外，在大陸和台湾關系暖和之下，兩岸的廠商對開拓彼此市場以及與對方合作的興趣也提高了。這也形成向我們這種顧問公司能提供價值服務的機會。
這次很幸運能加入公司的大陸團隊，參與一切的準備。雖然自己對大陸市場還是很陌生，對這種“創業”的過程也很不熟悉，但就因為如此而讓我吸取寶貴的學習經驗！
在這裡就順便跟大家分享我們小小開幕儀式的照片：
悅智亞洲在台北的籌備處開幕
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=328111&id=576355703&l=25e46bfd3f
悅智亞洲上海辦事處的開幕
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=316334&id=576355703&l=cd1e5e3aa8
Adventures in China (Shanghai and Suzhou)
Long overdue photos from China trip (featuring Shanghai and Suzhou)
Adventures in Shanghai - Part 1 (http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=310790&id=576355703&l=fc4c0d5696)
Adventures in Shanghai - Part 2 (http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=312415&id=576355703&l=bda8454789)
Adventures in Suzhou (http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=313501&id=576355703&l=1170a98472)
Some highlights :)
東方明珠、上海灘
上海美食
蘇州之美
Adventures in Shanghai - Part 1 (http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=310790&id=576355703&l=fc4c0d5696)
Adventures in Shanghai - Part 2 (http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=312415&id=576355703&l=bda8454789)
Adventures in Suzhou (http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=313501&id=576355703&l=1170a98472)
Some highlights :)
東方明珠、上海灘
上海美食
蘇州之美Thoughts on Shanghai - written 27 Aug 09
This is my first time in Shanghai, and actually only my 2nd time in China.. the 1st time was in Guang Zhou in May 2008 and I spent about a week and a half there…
But somehow the impressions of Shanghai are really quite different from that of Guang Zhou… as a matter of fact, the main things I remember about Guang Zhou now are 1. lots of traffic 2. lots of good desserts and food 3. lots of promotions about the Olympics… (but I suppose this is normal considering how short a time I spent there actually walking around in the streets and seeing the place)
Anyway… the first impression from Shanghai is how HUGE everything is… it suddenly made me realize I’m truly from a very small country… my Taiwanese friends used to say all the time that Taiwan is so small and of course I would bring up how much smaller Singapore is… but even then, as much as certain aspects of Taiwan (and Taipei) reflect how much bigger and larger they are than that of Singapore, it was nothing compared to what I felt in Shanghai…
From airport and immigration, lots of people, long queues, huge halls and corridors that seem to go on forever… from MRT stations to expressways to condominiums, housing apartments and office towers… from the size and width of the roads, staircases at MRT stations to the size of shopping centres… everything is big… some people will probably think this is what everyone knows about China in general and it’s probably true… but all I can say is, seeing it for myself definitely has a much stronger impact…
The second impression I had of Shanghai is that of disparity… it’s a strange kind of feeling, one I can’t quite place or describe properly... it comes from knowing and fully experiencing how fast development is and will continue to be in Shanghai… from the construction going on everywhere, to the grandiose of the buildings and towers constructed, to its global reputation as THE economic centre to be today… yet not too far from our office building, you’ll find tiny shophouses that look extremely local… from the 6th floor and above of a 4 star hotel, you’ll find yourself looking out at an expanse of two-storey flats occupied by locals who hang laundry and cook meals on their rooftops… you’ll find a housewife walking around in the Xin Tian Di area (kind of like the central business district where the expensive offices and condominiums are) in her night gown at 10am in the morning… when you’re in a taxi heading to work, you’ll see 5-storey apartments where people hang their laundry facing the main road (so yes it’s quite a colorful display… plus I wonder if that doesn’t just makes their clothes dusty again)… in buildings that are hundreds of years old, you’ll find restaurants and cafes selling anything from Brazilian to Mexican to American and Japanese cuisine…
I think this feeling about the disparity is somewhat similar to what I felt in Vietnam, though if you think about it, Shanghai and Vietnam are worlds apart in terms of development… yet both places seem to reflect societies that are growing so rapidly despite the poor infrastructure and seemingly disregarding (note the use of “seemingly”) the presence of its very local culture… it’s like trying to answer the question “how do you create your own unique culture when you are opening so fast to the world, when your people within the state itself are so easily divided into classes (natural considering the size of Shanghai), and when certain aspects of your society don’t seem able to keep up with the pace of development?” Is it really possible to create such scale and magnitude of wealth, and let everyone, if not the majority, enjoy a share of that pie?
On a slightly related note, Lee Kuan Yew came up in a few conversations these days… it was brought up about how his brilliance helped bring Singapore through a remarkable phase of development from 3rd world to 1st world country… yet I have been wondering… I have always felt that LKY should be given due credit for the accomplishments and foresights he brought to Singapore… I have also felt that while he achieved his end means, I wonder if perhaps his approaches are really the best and only way for us to move forward… I also feel that his accomplishments might not have been so fantastic if not for the fact that Singapore is a small country, geographically and in terms of population, and that the government relished rather strict and tight governance over its people…
Given that, I wonder how he would fare if he were to govern Shanghai… lots of economic potential and prosperity, a government style that is openly controlling, lots of “migrant communities” (people from out of state, with different backgrounds, mother tongues, cultures etc), but on a scale 5 times that of Singapore…I really wonder…
Anyway… I realize my original intentions to pen my thoughts about Shanghai and the places here have gone somewhat awry… in any case, it feels good to finally get these thoughts out of my head… the photos and travelogue will come for sure… at least for now, it’s these slightly deeper issues flying around in my head…
But somehow the impressions of Shanghai are really quite different from that of Guang Zhou… as a matter of fact, the main things I remember about Guang Zhou now are 1. lots of traffic 2. lots of good desserts and food 3. lots of promotions about the Olympics… (but I suppose this is normal considering how short a time I spent there actually walking around in the streets and seeing the place)
Anyway… the first impression from Shanghai is how HUGE everything is… it suddenly made me realize I’m truly from a very small country… my Taiwanese friends used to say all the time that Taiwan is so small and of course I would bring up how much smaller Singapore is… but even then, as much as certain aspects of Taiwan (and Taipei) reflect how much bigger and larger they are than that of Singapore, it was nothing compared to what I felt in Shanghai…
From airport and immigration, lots of people, long queues, huge halls and corridors that seem to go on forever… from MRT stations to expressways to condominiums, housing apartments and office towers… from the size and width of the roads, staircases at MRT stations to the size of shopping centres… everything is big… some people will probably think this is what everyone knows about China in general and it’s probably true… but all I can say is, seeing it for myself definitely has a much stronger impact…
The second impression I had of Shanghai is that of disparity… it’s a strange kind of feeling, one I can’t quite place or describe properly... it comes from knowing and fully experiencing how fast development is and will continue to be in Shanghai… from the construction going on everywhere, to the grandiose of the buildings and towers constructed, to its global reputation as THE economic centre to be today… yet not too far from our office building, you’ll find tiny shophouses that look extremely local… from the 6th floor and above of a 4 star hotel, you’ll find yourself looking out at an expanse of two-storey flats occupied by locals who hang laundry and cook meals on their rooftops… you’ll find a housewife walking around in the Xin Tian Di area (kind of like the central business district where the expensive offices and condominiums are) in her night gown at 10am in the morning… when you’re in a taxi heading to work, you’ll see 5-storey apartments where people hang their laundry facing the main road (so yes it’s quite a colorful display… plus I wonder if that doesn’t just makes their clothes dusty again)… in buildings that are hundreds of years old, you’ll find restaurants and cafes selling anything from Brazilian to Mexican to American and Japanese cuisine…
I think this feeling about the disparity is somewhat similar to what I felt in Vietnam, though if you think about it, Shanghai and Vietnam are worlds apart in terms of development… yet both places seem to reflect societies that are growing so rapidly despite the poor infrastructure and seemingly disregarding (note the use of “seemingly”) the presence of its very local culture… it’s like trying to answer the question “how do you create your own unique culture when you are opening so fast to the world, when your people within the state itself are so easily divided into classes (natural considering the size of Shanghai), and when certain aspects of your society don’t seem able to keep up with the pace of development?” Is it really possible to create such scale and magnitude of wealth, and let everyone, if not the majority, enjoy a share of that pie?
On a slightly related note, Lee Kuan Yew came up in a few conversations these days… it was brought up about how his brilliance helped bring Singapore through a remarkable phase of development from 3rd world to 1st world country… yet I have been wondering… I have always felt that LKY should be given due credit for the accomplishments and foresights he brought to Singapore… I have also felt that while he achieved his end means, I wonder if perhaps his approaches are really the best and only way for us to move forward… I also feel that his accomplishments might not have been so fantastic if not for the fact that Singapore is a small country, geographically and in terms of population, and that the government relished rather strict and tight governance over its people…
Given that, I wonder how he would fare if he were to govern Shanghai… lots of economic potential and prosperity, a government style that is openly controlling, lots of “migrant communities” (people from out of state, with different backgrounds, mother tongues, cultures etc), but on a scale 5 times that of Singapore…I really wonder…
Anyway… I realize my original intentions to pen my thoughts about Shanghai and the places here have gone somewhat awry… in any case, it feels good to finally get these thoughts out of my head… the photos and travelogue will come for sure… at least for now, it’s these slightly deeper issues flying around in my head…
Saturday, September 19, 2009
我回來了！
很久沒在這裡寫東西了，現在快快地通知一下，我已經回到台北了！
之前因爲工作而出差到上海，在上海呆了大概三個多禮拜，昨天傍晚才回來。
這次出差是我第一次到上海，第二次到中國，所以對所看到的及所經驗到的有蠻多想法的。
希望接下來會有耐心把這些想法與感受放到這裡。:)
之前因爲工作而出差到上海，在上海呆了大概三個多禮拜，昨天傍晚才回來。
這次出差是我第一次到上海，第二次到中國，所以對所看到的及所經驗到的有蠻多想法的。
希望接下來會有耐心把這些想法與感受放到這裡。:)
Sunday, August 02, 2009
在台北吃新加坡式早餐！
自從來到台灣，我一直在找道地的新加坡食物和飲料。到現在是有吃到幾家不錯的海南雞飯，但味道還是會有點不一樣，而且喝過的咖啡都完全不像新加坡的。
所以後來發現亞坤 (http://www.yakun.com/) 的連鎖店也有開到台北，就快速招了同事一起去試吃。
台灣亞坤賣的還是有點不一樣，基本套餐有一粒半生熟雞蛋，兩片土司和一個飲料 （新加坡的是兩粒雞蛋）。而且，攤位提供的是醬油，所以比較像馬來西亞的吃法，因爲新加坡用的是黑醬油（類似這裡的醬油糕）。
雖然如此，那天還是吃得很開心，因爲味道非常道地，非常有家的感覺！連平時不太喜歡吃半熟蛋的同事們也覺得好好吃！
各位有興趣品嘗新加坡式早餐的話，可以到信義區新光三越，Ａ８館，Ｂ２樓的亞坤試試看！
而且特別提醒，雞蛋一定要加胡椒粉和醬油，記得在攤位櫃檯先加！
所以後來發現亞坤 (http://www.yakun.com/) 的連鎖店也有開到台北，就快速招了同事一起去試吃。
台灣亞坤賣的還是有點不一樣，基本套餐有一粒半生熟雞蛋，兩片土司和一個飲料 （新加坡的是兩粒雞蛋）。而且，攤位提供的是醬油，所以比較像馬來西亞的吃法，因爲新加坡用的是黑醬油（類似這裡的醬油糕）。
雖然如此，那天還是吃得很開心，因爲味道非常道地，非常有家的感覺！連平時不太喜歡吃半熟蛋的同事們也覺得好好吃！
各位有興趣品嘗新加坡式早餐的話，可以到信義區新光三越，Ａ８館，Ｂ２樓的亞坤試試看！
而且特別提醒，雞蛋一定要加胡椒粉和醬油，記得在攤位櫃檯先加！
Capitalism at the Crossroads
note: this post is in English because there are just too many thoughts running through my head that I have to get them all out quick!
In time for my previous goal set of reading at least 1 book a month, I have finally reading Capitalism at the Crossroads by Stuart L. Hart... many many thanks to Shirley and Rina, without whom I would never have ended up with the book in Taiwan (in brief, the book belongs to Shirley, who lent it to Rina at a conference but forgot to get it back when she was in Singapore, which Rina brought to Guangzhou but forgot to pass it to Li Zhen who was going to Rotterdam, which Rina passed to me to bring to Taiwan because Shirley might drop by sometime to visit family before starting work but didn't in the end cos she found a job too soon.. phew! :p)
anyway, I say finally also because I had previously started on the book in Singapore last year but never continued it when I got to Taiwan... so it's been a long journey with this book, and thankfully that journey is now complete! :)
I have to say this book is a must read, especially for those interested in innovation, sustainability and business models... I won't go into the details (because you deserve to discover them on your own) but here's a brief about the contents, followed by some of my thoughts...
The book's main proposition is that in today's world, Multi-National Companies (MNCs) are the entities best equipped to deal with the world's sustainability problems, because they have the resources, the technology and the scale to create products/ services that meet the triple bottom line of: Economic impact, Social Impact and Environmental Impact..
While most companies today already know that sustainability or CSR initiatives don't have to come at the expense of profits and market share, the book emphasizes the huge potential for MNCs to positively impact the community, address environmental issues AND strengthen their own long term corporate sustainability by looking towards the Base of Pyramid (BoP) , the 4 to 5 billion people at the base of the economic pyramid, people considered too poor to do business with... The author argues that the BoP is the pristine consumer base where
1) most other competitors have not penetrated
2) people there do not have pre-conceived notions about using certain products
3) people in rural communities often get bullied by suppliers, who charge more because these villages have little say...
To illustrate the potential based on these 3 points, the average household in the city would probably be used to using fluorescent lightbulbs and would not be inclined to switch to LED lighting which costs more upfront but lasts way longer and is more environmentally friendly... if an MNC is able to create, through R&D, a simplified and cheaper version of LED lighting designed FOR the poor (perhaps powered by solar panels), the poor family in a rural village could possibly welcome it as an alternative to consistently spending money on matches and candles bought from shops which do not enjoy enough economies of scale to bring prices down..
The book offers many other case studies of MNCs that have succeeded as well as failed in trying to reach the BoP... it also highlights the pitfalls that MNCs can fall into, especially if MNCs only view this simply as a means of marketing their products without integrating and engaging the locals in order to build new business models, co-invent products and services and design new channel distribution models which move from within the community, and which in the process help improve overall living conditions in those very communities...
All in all, the book offers many exciting ideas and perspectives different from most of what is taught in school, simply because what has been expounded mostly so far is an economic model focused on those at the top of the economic pyramid, where infrastructure, education and means of marketing and communication already exist to facilitate the introduction of new products and technology...
You can find out more about the BoP Protocol at http://www.bop-protocol.org
While I haven't mentioned very much about technology and innovation, it is a very crucial aspect for companies to drive sustainability from within... It was very interesting to see case studies highlighting concepts such as "Cradle to Cradle" (designing the product till the end of its lifecycle, possibly where it's construction materials are designed to be recycled after its use to generate other products) as well as "Creative Destruction" (innovating new technology which destroys the need for existing technology which the company depends on now, thus opening up a whole new market space)
Personally, the role of technology struck a chord in me... Having come from an engineering background (and from a stream where I did learn about product design), I kept wondering...
What if our students actually were exposed to this concept right from within our education?
If technopreneurship is such a relevant topic still, why do we not learn about such ideas within our courses of product design, of Engineers & Society, of Engineering Innovation and Design and so on?
Why are we still so unaware of some of the research projects (within Singapore and around the world) which are addressing such sustainability ideas?
If it's a requirement for engineering students to take some modules from Business, Science or Humanities, and this requirement stems from the need for more broad-based thinking, why do we not marry sustainability, management and engineering to create modules which spark ideas and guide thoughts about the impact an engineer (in an entry-level position, within a large corporation etc) can bring through technology?
And just as it was mentioned in the book that MNCs also have the largest resistance in cultivating such revolutionary innovation in both technology and business models management (due to size, structures, habits etc.), I wonder what's the solution to the seemingly ever-present situation where education in our institutes lags one or a few steps behind addressing the challenges and problems the world faces right now...
Saturday, July 25, 2009
簡報...
跟各位快快地報告一下，因爲最近工作比較忙，所以一直沒時間更新部落各的内容。
下禮拜的時間應該會好多了，到時候再跟大家分享最近發生的事：
下禮拜的時間應該會好多了，到時候再跟大家分享最近發生的事：
- 12號到烏來玩
- 17號到桃園玩
- 25號在台北嘗試亞坤的新加坡式早餐
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
反省后的一些想法...
不知不覺的，我已經在台灣呆了快半年了... 可能是因爲上個星期剛過了二十五嵗的生日，或是因爲最近周末都沒出去玩，加上最近工作比較輕鬆（應該是暫時性的，希望是:P），所以花了一些時間來做一下人生的反省...
反省的過程中，回想到當初會要出國工作，主要也是為了多看多了解新加坡以外的世界，挑戰自己的適應和辦事能力，並從中更了解自己的能力、自己在事業上的方向、以及自己在世界和社會上能付出的貢獻...
至今，我發現其實對自己下來想走的路還是有蠻多疑問的... 而在某种程度上，也對自己的能力有所疑惑... 雖然覺得自己到目前的確有學到很多東西，但還是懷疑自己好像並沒有突破性的成長，在了解下來的人生方向也好像沒有什麽突破性的發現...
但后來跟幾位同事聊了一下，然後再回想到自己在AIESEC的經驗，結果發現其實現在走的路是有符合到自己去年定下的 “個人五年發展計劃”... 也領悟到，每個人走的路畢竟是不一樣的，所以用來發掘自己人生方向的時間也不一樣... 雖然我現在並不是非常確定未來方向，但至少在發掘它的過程中還是在做有挑戰性的工作、還是遇到很多非常優秀的好人（並跟他們學習)、還是在做對社會有貢獻的事、還是在發現台灣的美...
當然，這些都算是好事，但經過這次的反省，也決定要讓自己生活更加充實，所以定下了一下個人目標：
提高自己的中文水平
在認字方面，已經有相當的進展了。但發現有時還是沒辦法很清楚地用文字或語言發表自己的想法。所以決定，以後的部落各文章以及工作上的電子郵件要盡量用中文寫。
更積極擴充自己的知識
我給自己的目標是，每個月都要看完至少一本書，而且中英文的都要看（應該就輪流看吧，這個月看英文的，下個月看中文的）。
還好公司收集了很多有關商業管理、品牌管理的書，要看小説的話應該可以跟同事或朋友借...
健康生活
已經找到運動伴了！下來的每個星期四晚上要到附近的公園跑步了！
目前大概就這樣吧...
很顯然的，反省的過程並不一定能讓我們找到想要的答案，甚至會讓我們越想越困惑... 但我想，有了困惑才能有新發現、有突破！
希望在人生中，我們一直會有困惑，一直有發現和突破！
p.s. 我用了接近一個小時把這篇寫完，真是太慢了
p.p.s. for those of you who can't read Chinese, I hope the Google Translate toolbar I added on the left of my blog will help!! Please note that you will not get a perfect translation (it's a machine doing it after all)... perhaps if time permits in future, I will post in both English and Chinese so you get exactly what I am trying to say :)
反省的過程中，回想到當初會要出國工作，主要也是為了多看多了解新加坡以外的世界，挑戰自己的適應和辦事能力，並從中更了解自己的能力、自己在事業上的方向、以及自己在世界和社會上能付出的貢獻...
至今，我發現其實對自己下來想走的路還是有蠻多疑問的... 而在某种程度上，也對自己的能力有所疑惑... 雖然覺得自己到目前的確有學到很多東西，但還是懷疑自己好像並沒有突破性的成長，在了解下來的人生方向也好像沒有什麽突破性的發現...
但后來跟幾位同事聊了一下，然後再回想到自己在AIESEC的經驗，結果發現其實現在走的路是有符合到自己去年定下的 “個人五年發展計劃”... 也領悟到，每個人走的路畢竟是不一樣的，所以用來發掘自己人生方向的時間也不一樣... 雖然我現在並不是非常確定未來方向，但至少在發掘它的過程中還是在做有挑戰性的工作、還是遇到很多非常優秀的好人（並跟他們學習)、還是在做對社會有貢獻的事、還是在發現台灣的美...
當然，這些都算是好事，但經過這次的反省，也決定要讓自己生活更加充實，所以定下了一下個人目標：
提高自己的中文水平
在認字方面，已經有相當的進展了。但發現有時還是沒辦法很清楚地用文字或語言發表自己的想法。所以決定，以後的部落各文章以及工作上的電子郵件要盡量用中文寫。
更積極擴充自己的知識
我給自己的目標是，每個月都要看完至少一本書，而且中英文的都要看（應該就輪流看吧，這個月看英文的，下個月看中文的）。
還好公司收集了很多有關商業管理、品牌管理的書，要看小説的話應該可以跟同事或朋友借...
健康生活
已經找到運動伴了！下來的每個星期四晚上要到附近的公園跑步了！
目前大概就這樣吧...
很顯然的，反省的過程並不一定能讓我們找到想要的答案，甚至會讓我們越想越困惑... 但我想，有了困惑才能有新發現、有突破！
希望在人生中，我們一直會有困惑，一直有發現和突破！
p.s. 我用了接近一個小時把這篇寫完，真是太慢了
p.p.s. for those of you who can't read Chinese, I hope the Google Translate toolbar I added on the left of my blog will help!! Please note that you will not get a perfect translation (it's a machine doing it after all)... perhaps if time permits in future, I will post in both English and Chinese so you get exactly what I am trying to say :)
Saturday, July 04, 2009
Ali Shan and Chiayi county - 27 & 28 Jun 2009
My family was in Taipei to visit! Lots of funny moments since this was the first time my parents are in Taiwan and first time since a loooong time ago since my mom traveled overseas...
They touched down on the 23rd and stayed at the TS Hotel in Xi Men Ding (really reasonable rates for a decent and comfortable 3-persons room)... most of the next few days saw them going around in Taipei and occasionally I met up with them for some eating and traveling after work...
in any case, the highlight of their trip was probably our visit to Ali Shan and Jia Yi county over the weekend... This was a tour package I signed up for via one of the local tour agencies and for a one-time fee, covered the following:
(If you're interested in this package, check http://tour.colatour.com.tw/b03ticket/show_ticket.asp?seq=402&type=3 for more info... the tour is organized by the hotel and promoted by tour agencies)
Anyway, it was really fun, enjoyable and totally worth the money (which wasn't really that expensive considering what the trip included)... I didn't get a lot of group shots on my camera but here are some from the trip:
Us on the train to the peak of Ali Shan.. This was about 4 plus in the morning... and yes it was cold, probably 15 deg C or less.. hence my mom's attire...
The sun rise on Ali Shan, at about 5.15am
Cool sign we saw on Ali Shan
Night view of Chiayi city from our hotel room on the 14th floor
Now I can proudly say that I have conquered Ali Shan as well as the Sun Moon Lake! Key icons of Taiwan!!
More photos at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=275510&id=576355703&l=b2e5de7d99
They touched down on the 23rd and stayed at the TS Hotel in Xi Men Ding (really reasonable rates for a decent and comfortable 3-persons room)... most of the next few days saw them going around in Taipei and occasionally I met up with them for some eating and traveling after work...
in any case, the highlight of their trip was probably our visit to Ali Shan and Jia Yi county over the weekend... This was a tour package I signed up for via one of the local tour agencies and for a one-time fee, covered the following:- Overnight coach ride from Taipei to Chiayi
- Trip up to Ali Shan to watch the sun rise and see the forest park
- 1 night stay at a 5 Star hotel (耐斯王子 Nice Prince Hotel in Chiayi)
- complimentary dinner and breakfast at the hotel (international buffet style for both meals)
- All other meals, as well as transport costs e.g. train ride on Ali Shan) were also catered for
- Tour in Chiayi city which includes Chiayii city park, Chiayi Insect Museum and a visit to 布袋漁港 (Bu Dai Port) including a boat trip to sea
- Return coach ride back to Taipei
(If you're interested in this package, check http://tour.colatour.com.tw/b03ticket/show_ticket.asp?seq=402&type=3 for more info... the tour is organized by the hotel and promoted by tour agencies)
Anyway, it was really fun, enjoyable and totally worth the money (which wasn't really that expensive considering what the trip included)... I didn't get a lot of group shots on my camera but here are some from the trip:
Us on the train to the peak of Ali Shan.. This was about 4 plus in the morning... and yes it was cold, probably 15 deg C or less.. hence my mom's attire...
The sun rise on Ali Shan, at about 5.15am
Cool sign we saw on Ali Shan
Night view of Chiayi city from our hotel room on the 14th floorNow I can proudly say that I have conquered Ali Shan as well as the Sun Moon Lake! Key icons of Taiwan!!
More photos at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=275510&id=576355703&l=b2e5de7d99
明池山莊 - 30 & 31 May 2009
2 weeks after my visit to mid-Taiwan, I was heading back to 宜蘭 (I-lan county) again, this time to spend the weekend at 明池山莊, Mingchih Forest Recreation Area with 3 of my colleagues...
There's a dedicated shuttle bus service (not free though) that leaves Taipei City for the recreation area and the journey takes about 2 plus hours I think... The recreation area is actually within a "basin" created by surrounding mountains so it's some distance above sea level and the journey there involves some mountain roads, which meant lots of winding left and right on the bus... for those of you who get motion sickness easily, better bring your motion sickness meds and avoid too heavy a meal before the journey!
Despite that, I think being in the area itself makes up for the winding journey up.. and I'm sure most people will feel better already the moment they reach the area... we were greeted by very fresh air, lots of greenery everywhere and the sounds of nature (birds, water, wind blowing through trees)... Once there, we went on a guided tour through the area near our resort and the guide introduced us to the history of the area as well as to the different types of trees growing there...
the next day, we went on another guided tour, this time higher up in the mountain (another winding bus journey up) where we saw the famous 神木 (literally translated to God Tree) forest... these 神木 are trees that HUGE and extremely old (1500 years is considered quite young here)...
For nature lovers who want a definite break from city life, this place is extremely recommended! Do note that since it's in the mountains, the temperature can get low so bring your coats... Also, it's a pity that the tour guides only speak Chinese but in any case, you can move around on your own as well if you don't want to join the guided tour... It's probably advisable to go there with a group of friends and perhaps book a chalet room for 1 night and share the cost... otherwise, if you drive or intend to stay over in I-lan, the recreation area is good for a 1-day trip as well... oh and 1 last thing, those who are staying over, bring your own snacks!! There is only 1 restaurant in that area and no convenience stores at all... :)
Here are some photos of the area
You can view the rest of my photos at http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=7049291&l=d7bea1209f&id=576355703
There's a dedicated shuttle bus service (not free though) that leaves Taipei City for the recreation area and the journey takes about 2 plus hours I think... The recreation area is actually within a "basin" created by surrounding mountains so it's some distance above sea level and the journey there involves some mountain roads, which meant lots of winding left and right on the bus... for those of you who get motion sickness easily, better bring your motion sickness meds and avoid too heavy a meal before the journey!
Despite that, I think being in the area itself makes up for the winding journey up.. and I'm sure most people will feel better already the moment they reach the area... we were greeted by very fresh air, lots of greenery everywhere and the sounds of nature (birds, water, wind blowing through trees)... Once there, we went on a guided tour through the area near our resort and the guide introduced us to the history of the area as well as to the different types of trees growing there...
the next day, we went on another guided tour, this time higher up in the mountain (another winding bus journey up) where we saw the famous 神木 (literally translated to God Tree) forest... these 神木 are trees that HUGE and extremely old (1500 years is considered quite young here)...
For nature lovers who want a definite break from city life, this place is extremely recommended! Do note that since it's in the mountains, the temperature can get low so bring your coats... Also, it's a pity that the tour guides only speak Chinese but in any case, you can move around on your own as well if you don't want to join the guided tour... It's probably advisable to go there with a group of friends and perhaps book a chalet room for 1 night and share the cost... otherwise, if you drive or intend to stay over in I-lan, the recreation area is good for a 1-day trip as well... oh and 1 last thing, those who are staying over, bring your own snacks!! There is only 1 restaurant in that area and no convenience stores at all... :)
Here are some photos of the area
You can view the rest of my photos at http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=7049291&l=d7bea1209f&id=576355703
Day in Changhua County - 18 May 2009
This post is way overdue.. but to do justice to the trip, I still have to update it here :)
as mentioned in the previous post, I traveled with Prior and Eva to the middle of Taiwan... Saturday (17th May) was spent in Nan Tou county where I finally saw the Sun Moon Lake... Sunday (18th May) was spent in Changhua itself experiencing lots of wonderful food... :)
Here's a map just to show you very quickly where Changhua is within the whole Taiwan Island... It's quite a quiet place where you can see immediately that the pace of life is quite different from that of Taipei. There aren't as many tall buildings either so it's refreshing to be able to see so much sky...
We started by picking up Sandy (who was in the area having attended a wedding the day before) and headed to our first stop, the temple street at Lugang...
You can probably tell from the roof that this temple is really old.. old enough that its construction did not involve using any nails at all; everything is pieced together using wood...
As a matter of fact, walking around in this part of Lugang gives an overall "old" kind of feel...
The houses here really date back tens, even hundreds of years for some... so it was definitely a cool experience walking around in these narrow alleys and occassionaly peeping into people's homes...
We also paid a visit to 八卦山 where there is a sitting Buddha statue that overlooks the entire Changhua city... I thought it was really great that they made the area around the statue so family-friendly since it brings people together and makes things more lively...
That aside, the rest of my Changhua trip was mainly full of food.. here's a montage of all the food I ate and had taken a photo of (yes I missed out some)
All in all, extremely fulfilling weekend trip to mid-Taiwan which I highly recommend to anyone looking for a cultural, scenic and gastronimical experience!
For more photos, visit http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=258209&id=576355703&l=d79096179e
as mentioned in the previous post, I traveled with Prior and Eva to the middle of Taiwan... Saturday (17th May) was spent in Nan Tou county where I finally saw the Sun Moon Lake... Sunday (18th May) was spent in Changhua itself experiencing lots of wonderful food... :)Here's a map just to show you very quickly where Changhua is within the whole Taiwan Island... It's quite a quiet place where you can see immediately that the pace of life is quite different from that of Taipei. There aren't as many tall buildings either so it's refreshing to be able to see so much sky...
We started by picking up Sandy (who was in the area having attended a wedding the day before) and headed to our first stop, the temple street at Lugang...
You can probably tell from the roof that this temple is really old.. old enough that its construction did not involve using any nails at all; everything is pieced together using wood...As a matter of fact, walking around in this part of Lugang gives an overall "old" kind of feel...
The houses here really date back tens, even hundreds of years for some... so it was definitely a cool experience walking around in these narrow alleys and occassionaly peeping into people's homes...
We also paid a visit to 八卦山 where there is a sitting Buddha statue that overlooks the entire Changhua city... I thought it was really great that they made the area around the statue so family-friendly since it brings people together and makes things more lively...That aside, the rest of my Changhua trip was mainly full of food.. here's a montage of all the food I ate and had taken a photo of (yes I missed out some)
- Yam Pork Bun
- BBQ Squid
- 麵茶, a kind of paste in peanut-ish sauce
- 地瓜球 (Tapioca balls)
- 狀元糕 (literally means Scholar Cake), tastes a bit like Kueh Tu-Tu in Singapore
- 五味庚, a dish that had cuttlefish, prawn dumplings, pork dumplings, mushrooms and vegetables (hence the 五 or five in the name)
- Shaved ice dessert
- Pork Bun
- Fried chicken wing
- 肉圓, pork dumpling (ate this on Monday morning in the office)
All in all, extremely fulfilling weekend trip to mid-Taiwan which I highly recommend to anyone looking for a cultural, scenic and gastronimical experience!
For more photos, visit http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=258209&id=576355703&l=d79096179e
Sunday, June 07, 2009
Day in Nantou County - 17 May 2009
So this is again way overdue but because I'm committed to the cause of enticing more people to come to Taiwan and discover its beauty, I'm still going to post this :)
So on Friday evening 16 May 09, I traveled to Zhang Hua county with Prior and Eva since Prior was going back to his hometown and invited me along.. this is my first time to the central part of Taiwan and it did prove to be an amazing weekend...
on Saturday 17 May 2009, we headed to Nantou county (see map on the left). Prior drove and the trip took just abit over 1 hour thanks to a new expressway that opened linked Zhang Hua and Nantou...
As you can see from the map, Nantou is actually the only county in the whole of Taiwan that does not touch the shoreline... so yes it's entirely inland...
Yet despite that, I can assure you that it's visited by many many people because the allure of the Sun Moon Lake is just too great
It really is very very beautiful! they say that the lake looks different at different times of the day and I do believe it even though I did not see it (we spent about 3 hours plus there)... surrounded by mountains covered in greenery, the lake gives a really peaceful feel to visitors...
The road goes all around the lake so there were a lot of tourist buses as well as cyclists... our 1st stop was the Wen Wu Temple (文物廟), a beautiful temple directly facing the lake.. a large part of it was damaged in the 1999 earthquake but thanks to aid that poured in from within and outside of Taiwan, it has been properly restored...
We then went on to take a boat ride on the lake... these boat rides come with and without guided tours... we did the one without since Prior was pretty much an experienced tour guide already :)
The boat trip was about 1.5 hours and included a stop at another smaller temple as well as a view of this mini island in the lake (it used to be much bigger but most of it sank in the earthquake). If you go during the weekdays, you can even go on the island... you can't do that on weekends since there are already too many visitors then and I'm sure that island will sink if we all went on it :)
for more info on Sun Moon Lake, visit http://www.sunmoonlake.gov.tw/sun.aspx?Lang=EN
After the Sun Moon Lake, we then headed to the Pu Li brewery
The brewery is actually featured in the book "Blue Ocean Strategy in Taiwan" as one of the case studies... Once a pure brewery that almost went out of business, it is now one of the biggest and most famous breweries in the whole of Taiwan and draws huge crowds of locals and tourists every day to buy products related to 紹興酒 (Shao-xing wine, a form of traditional Chinese wine fermented from rice) or to visit its museum and learn more about the process of making various forms of alcohol as well as random facts about alcohol...
A tunnel whose walls are made up of wine urns...
More on Puli Brewery at http://www.sunmoonlake.gov.tw/TW/04001114.aspx
Our final stop of the day was at the 中台禪寺 or the Chung Tai Chan Monastery... located in quite the rural part of the area (we passed by farms and large plots of lands before reaching it), the monastery is built by the largest (I think) Buddhist association in Taiwan and is said to cost NTD 4 billion to build...
From the outside, you can already tell that a lot of effort was put into the design and construction of this monastery... when you step inside, it's even more amazing...
Here you see the grand hall of the monastery on the 1st floor... that statue on the left is one of the four guardians in the halls and is 5 storeys tall and weighs 120 tonnes... It is entirely hand-sculpted, just like many of the other statues and structures in the monastery...
They definitely didn't hold back when it came to getting the best materials and the best craftsmen for this monastery...
Only the 1st two floors are open to the public and there are monks and nuns who help explain about the statues, the construction and of course about Buddhism... they cater to foreigners too (we passed by a group where a nun was speaking fluent English)...
It's an interesting way of spreading Buddhism to the world... this organization has also opened schools in the area where children learn Buddhist values from young while receiving high quality education (all students have to learn Chinese, English, French and Spanish)..
To find out more, check out http://www.ctworld.org.tw/english-96/html/index.htm (the chinese website features more information but the english one is not too bad.. comes with a virtual tour too :P)
So all in all, it was a very enriching day where I saw great scenery, learnt about wine making and had my breath taken away by the monastery while learning more about Buddhism... Definitely a worthwhile trip!
More photos at http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=6892183&l=3934180b1e&id=576355703
So on Friday evening 16 May 09, I traveled to Zhang Hua county with Prior and Eva since Prior was going back to his hometown and invited me along.. this is my first time to the central part of Taiwan and it did prove to be an amazing weekend...
on Saturday 17 May 2009, we headed to Nantou county (see map on the left). Prior drove and the trip took just abit over 1 hour thanks to a new expressway that opened linked Zhang Hua and Nantou...As you can see from the map, Nantou is actually the only county in the whole of Taiwan that does not touch the shoreline... so yes it's entirely inland...
Yet despite that, I can assure you that it's visited by many many people because the allure of the Sun Moon Lake is just too great
It really is very very beautiful! they say that the lake looks different at different times of the day and I do believe it even though I did not see it (we spent about 3 hours plus there)... surrounded by mountains covered in greenery, the lake gives a really peaceful feel to visitors...
The road goes all around the lake so there were a lot of tourist buses as well as cyclists... our 1st stop was the Wen Wu Temple (文物廟), a beautiful temple directly facing the lake.. a large part of it was damaged in the 1999 earthquake but thanks to aid that poured in from within and outside of Taiwan, it has been properly restored...We then went on to take a boat ride on the lake... these boat rides come with and without guided tours... we did the one without since Prior was pretty much an experienced tour guide already :)
The boat trip was about 1.5 hours and included a stop at another smaller temple as well as a view of this mini island in the lake (it used to be much bigger but most of it sank in the earthquake). If you go during the weekdays, you can even go on the island... you can't do that on weekends since there are already too many visitors then and I'm sure that island will sink if we all went on it :)for more info on Sun Moon Lake, visit http://www.sunmoonlake.gov.tw/sun.aspx?Lang=EN
After the Sun Moon Lake, we then headed to the Pu Li brewery
The brewery is actually featured in the book "Blue Ocean Strategy in Taiwan" as one of the case studies... Once a pure brewery that almost went out of business, it is now one of the biggest and most famous breweries in the whole of Taiwan and draws huge crowds of locals and tourists every day to buy products related to 紹興酒 (Shao-xing wine, a form of traditional Chinese wine fermented from rice) or to visit its museum and learn more about the process of making various forms of alcohol as well as random facts about alcohol...
A tunnel whose walls are made up of wine urns...More on Puli Brewery at http://www.sunmoonlake.gov.tw/TW/04001114.aspx
Our final stop of the day was at the 中台禪寺 or the Chung Tai Chan Monastery... located in quite the rural part of the area (we passed by farms and large plots of lands before reaching it), the monastery is built by the largest (I think) Buddhist association in Taiwan and is said to cost NTD 4 billion to build...
From the outside, you can already tell that a lot of effort was put into the design and construction of this monastery... when you step inside, it's even more amazing...
Here you see the grand hall of the monastery on the 1st floor... that statue on the left is one of the four guardians in the halls and is 5 storeys tall and weighs 120 tonnes... It is entirely hand-sculpted, just like many of the other statues and structures in the monastery...They definitely didn't hold back when it came to getting the best materials and the best craftsmen for this monastery...
Only the 1st two floors are open to the public and there are monks and nuns who help explain about the statues, the construction and of course about Buddhism... they cater to foreigners too (we passed by a group where a nun was speaking fluent English)...It's an interesting way of spreading Buddhism to the world... this organization has also opened schools in the area where children learn Buddhist values from young while receiving high quality education (all students have to learn Chinese, English, French and Spanish)..
To find out more, check out http://www.ctworld.org.tw/english-96/html/index.htm (the chinese website features more information but the english one is not too bad.. comes with a virtual tour too :P)
So all in all, it was a very enriching day where I saw great scenery, learnt about wine making and had my breath taken away by the monastery while learning more about Buddhism... Definitely a worthwhile trip!
More photos at http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=6892183&l=3934180b1e&id=576355703
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
Just a thought...
People have often asked why I chose to come to Taiwan, considering that the culture between Taiwan and Singapore are quite similar... and I am always confused by this question...
I'm confused because I don't understand how people know that the cultures are similar when they have not lived in both Singapore AND Taiwan...
After all, isn't culture more than what we see on the news? in the newspapers? in books? Isn't culture more than just food? and fashion? and isn't culture also more than that group of friends you have from that country?
Definitions tell me that culture is a set of behaviors, values, beliefs and attitudes within a group/community of people... I don't dispute that, I think it does make sense... but on the other hand, some part of me insists that culture is nothing more a pair of "perspective lens" that Man puts on due to our very innate need to group, to classify and to distinguish...
Isn't it conflicting? We seek to belong yet we seek to differentiate ourselves... We learn the accents that the locals speak, we shake hands and exchange name cards the way locals do, we hang out at local spots to experience life like the locals and sometimes we fear being found out because it means we will get charged tourist prices.. yet we also seek to be special; we look for differences, we ask questions about the way things work, we point out how things are like in our own countries, we ponder why some things suck back at home when they work so well here locally...
and it is in this process of classifying, grouping and distinguishing that we slowly get the sense of what, in general, this "culture" thing really is... so if you think about it, cultures exists, or more accurately, we recognise culture BECAUSE there are differences... it's like how you can't see air which is all around you, but you can recognise it when you experience
1. a lack of it or
2. the differences in the environment when air moves or changes its state (e.g. when the wind blows)
If this is the case, saying that cultures are similar is also acknowledging that there are differences.. and if differences exists, that means that there is something to experience by going or living there... and if there is something to experience, why does it seem strange for people to uproot themselves sometimes and live in another country?
Am I making sense or am I going round in circles? Just a thought...
I'm confused because I don't understand how people know that the cultures are similar when they have not lived in both Singapore AND Taiwan...
After all, isn't culture more than what we see on the news? in the newspapers? in books? Isn't culture more than just food? and fashion? and isn't culture also more than that group of friends you have from that country?
Definitions tell me that culture is a set of behaviors, values, beliefs and attitudes within a group/community of people... I don't dispute that, I think it does make sense... but on the other hand, some part of me insists that culture is nothing more a pair of "perspective lens" that Man puts on due to our very innate need to group, to classify and to distinguish...
Isn't it conflicting? We seek to belong yet we seek to differentiate ourselves... We learn the accents that the locals speak, we shake hands and exchange name cards the way locals do, we hang out at local spots to experience life like the locals and sometimes we fear being found out because it means we will get charged tourist prices.. yet we also seek to be special; we look for differences, we ask questions about the way things work, we point out how things are like in our own countries, we ponder why some things suck back at home when they work so well here locally...
and it is in this process of classifying, grouping and distinguishing that we slowly get the sense of what, in general, this "culture" thing really is... so if you think about it, cultures exists, or more accurately, we recognise culture BECAUSE there are differences... it's like how you can't see air which is all around you, but you can recognise it when you experience
1. a lack of it or
2. the differences in the environment when air moves or changes its state (e.g. when the wind blows)
If this is the case, saying that cultures are similar is also acknowledging that there are differences.. and if differences exists, that means that there is something to experience by going or living there... and if there is something to experience, why does it seem strange for people to uproot themselves sometimes and live in another country?
Am I making sense or am I going round in circles? Just a thought...
Friday, May 29, 2009
HIV / AIDS in the World
Fantastic talk and presentation by Dr. Hans Rosling on HIV/AIDS...
http://www.ted.com/talks/hans_rosling_the_truth_about_hiv.html
I can't embed it here but I assure you it's definitely worth a view!
Dr. Rosling talks about how we always tend to oversimplify the HIV/AIDS problem into something that is "Africa" and he shows with hard core statistics the disparity within African nations, and even within the different cities of an African nation... He also talks about why it's essential to tackle the problem by preventing transmissions instead of only focusing on developing and delivering treatment...
Something that really struck me was with regards to statistics that we typically see. For example, we occasionally see statistics about the number of HIV/AIDS infected people in a certain country, or the % of people in a country / region that has the AIDS. This really doesn't paint a very accurate picture if you think about it.
For one, if people don't get tested, naturally the number of infected people will be less. Because we just won't know.
For another, in some of the worst hit countries in the world that are too poor to deliver much medical support to those infected, these people die young from the disease. Which then affects the total number of people infected (which usually only refers to the living)
If you flip this around, it means that a country with a moderate number of infected people and has the ability to provide more medical aid can help these people keep the disease at bay and ensure they can live longer and more meaningful lives. And this again affects the total number of people infected.
So what should we do in the face of this daunting challenge that faces mankind, and the very strong tendency for us to "over-simplify" or "out-classify" the problem when we see the news or the statistics?
As far as I can say, let's get ourselves tested so we know for sure and let's spread the word so people know more about HIV/AIDS, how to protect themselves and how to curb the transmission of this terrible virus.
http://www.ted.com/talks/hans_rosling_the_truth_about_hiv.html
I can't embed it here but I assure you it's definitely worth a view!
Dr. Rosling talks about how we always tend to oversimplify the HIV/AIDS problem into something that is "Africa" and he shows with hard core statistics the disparity within African nations, and even within the different cities of an African nation... He also talks about why it's essential to tackle the problem by preventing transmissions instead of only focusing on developing and delivering treatment...
Something that really struck me was with regards to statistics that we typically see. For example, we occasionally see statistics about the number of HIV/AIDS infected people in a certain country, or the % of people in a country / region that has the AIDS. This really doesn't paint a very accurate picture if you think about it.
For one, if people don't get tested, naturally the number of infected people will be less. Because we just won't know.
For another, in some of the worst hit countries in the world that are too poor to deliver much medical support to those infected, these people die young from the disease. Which then affects the total number of people infected (which usually only refers to the living)
If you flip this around, it means that a country with a moderate number of infected people and has the ability to provide more medical aid can help these people keep the disease at bay and ensure they can live longer and more meaningful lives. And this again affects the total number of people infected.
So what should we do in the face of this daunting challenge that faces mankind, and the very strong tendency for us to "over-simplify" or "out-classify" the problem when we see the news or the statistics?
As far as I can say, let's get ourselves tested so we know for sure and let's spread the word so people know more about HIV/AIDS, how to protect themselves and how to curb the transmission of this terrible virus.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Help with survey
Please help with a survey, it will not take more than 3 mins of your time! Thanks in advance!
http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?hl=en&formkey=cms1aFQtWlhCNEU3SjQwN1EwOGtlOVE6MA
or
http://tinyurl.com/o2lzmp
(they are the same so just fill it up once :P)
http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?hl=en&formkey=cms1aFQtWlhCNEU3SjQwN1EwOGtlOVE6MA
or
http://tinyurl.com/o2lzmp
(they are the same so just fill it up once :P)
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Labor Day Company Outing
Labor day wasn't an official holiday in my company but quite a few other companies were off so while we did go back to the office, it was extremely casual... plus, we had half day off for our own company outing...
The outing started with the all-important item: food!
and it was Thai food!! and quite authentic one too!! which meant it was tasty spicy!! sooo good... unfortunately for my colleagues though, they were all sniffing by the end of the meal...
anyway we then headed on to 大溪 (I don't really know where it is exactly but I think it's somewhere west of Taipei city and lies along the border of Taipei county and Tao Yuan county).. there we met up with our boss and went for a nice stroll checking out the rice field and greenery around..
everything here is so green... very good for the eyes :)
There are Tung flowers here as well lining the side of the hill... for more about Tung flowers, check out my previous post on Miaoli...
This is us at a "garden cafe"... you can see my colleagues and the king of the day, Da Wei! He's Quentin's 2 year old son and I think he had the most fun that day :)
The other major highlight of that day was seeing fireflies.. it was too dark to take proper photos and videos but it was really an amazing sight! The bushes and undergrowth were dotted with small blinking lights and some lights were even flying along... I also managed to catch one and in general they seem quite content to just stay on your hand and just.. flicker :)
So yes it was another outing full of nature... loving it!
for more photos, check out http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=251682&id=576355703&l=0ad88f9675
The outing started with the all-important item: food!
and it was Thai food!! and quite authentic one too!! which meant it was tasty spicy!! sooo good... unfortunately for my colleagues though, they were all sniffing by the end of the meal...anyway we then headed on to 大溪 (I don't really know where it is exactly but I think it's somewhere west of Taipei city and lies along the border of Taipei county and Tao Yuan county).. there we met up with our boss and went for a nice stroll checking out the rice field and greenery around..
everything here is so green... very good for the eyes :)
There are Tung flowers here as well lining the side of the hill... for more about Tung flowers, check out my previous post on Miaoli...
This is us at a "garden cafe"... you can see my colleagues and the king of the day, Da Wei! He's Quentin's 2 year old son and I think he had the most fun that day :)The other major highlight of that day was seeing fireflies.. it was too dark to take proper photos and videos but it was really an amazing sight! The bushes and undergrowth were dotted with small blinking lights and some lights were even flying along... I also managed to catch one and in general they seem quite content to just stay on your hand and just.. flicker :)
So yes it was another outing full of nature... loving it!
for more photos, check out http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=251682&id=576355703&l=0ad88f9675
Dave was in town!
Dave was in Taipei for about a week thanks to the Golden Week in Japan (where's the golden week in Taiwan??) so of course we hung out and had lots of fun :) it's also cool cos this is the 3rd time we've met up with each other and it's always been in a different country... 1st in Japan in March 2008 during APX, then in Singapore in December 2008 when he was on holiday, and now in Taipei... I wonder where we'll meet again next...
Anyway, this post shall be a photo feast cos otherwise it's too hard to describe all the stuff we did :)
We had Sichuan noodles lunch with the rest of my colleagues and Dave was cordially invited to join us the next day at...
Karaoke! random self-organized thingy in a really fancy KTV place... I thought it was a hotel when we walked in... plus, they served really good dinner, had very well-dressed waiters and waitresses, and all in all really looked like a hotel... our KTV room even came with an attached bathroom... I am so impressed with KTV in Taiwan... even Dave was impressed, which says a lot since he's in the land where KTV was born (Japan)
then we went for hot spring at the 八煙溫泉會館 Ba-Ian Hot Spring Resort on a Saturday... my first Hot Spring experience and a really cool one... the place was in the middle of another mountain 金山 so while soaking we could see outside to the vast amoun of greenery...
and we ordered the package that came with lunch, which was a Japanese meal with a lot of dishes! here's Dave posing with his Unagi lunch set... there was rice, salad, cold tofu with sea urchin sauce, curry fried chicken, mushroom soap and pickled fish with lots of roe...
So we got back to Taipei city at about 3pm and since it was Dave's last day in Taiwan, we had to try something very Taiwanese... which led us to...
Ding Tai Fung 鼎泰丰 for dinner! This is our basket of fish dumplings and a bit of our vege dish... Aside from really tasty food (it tastes better than the Singapore one), I was really impressed by the service quality because
and finally, after our sumptious dinner with great service, we headed to Ice Monster 冰館 for some dessert: Mixed Fruit Ice! We were both so full after that :)
So it has been a bunch of very fulfilling days and meals.. isn't it great when friends visit? :)
Anyway, this post shall be a photo feast cos otherwise it's too hard to describe all the stuff we did :)
We had Sichuan noodles lunch with the rest of my colleagues and Dave was cordially invited to join us the next day at...
Karaoke! random self-organized thingy in a really fancy KTV place... I thought it was a hotel when we walked in... plus, they served really good dinner, had very well-dressed waiters and waitresses, and all in all really looked like a hotel... our KTV room even came with an attached bathroom... I am so impressed with KTV in Taiwan... even Dave was impressed, which says a lot since he's in the land where KTV was born (Japan)
then we went for hot spring at the 八煙溫泉會館 Ba-Ian Hot Spring Resort on a Saturday... my first Hot Spring experience and a really cool one... the place was in the middle of another mountain 金山 so while soaking we could see outside to the vast amoun of greenery...
and we ordered the package that came with lunch, which was a Japanese meal with a lot of dishes! here's Dave posing with his Unagi lunch set... there was rice, salad, cold tofu with sea urchin sauce, curry fried chicken, mushroom soap and pickled fish with lots of roe...So we got back to Taipei city at about 3pm and since it was Dave's last day in Taiwan, we had to try something very Taiwanese... which led us to...
Ding Tai Fung 鼎泰丰 for dinner! This is our basket of fish dumplings and a bit of our vege dish... Aside from really tasty food (it tastes better than the Singapore one), I was really impressed by the service quality because- when I submitted our orders (you get to place your order while waiting for your seat), the waitress asked if I was new and recommended their Xiao Long Bao... I told her my friend doesn't take pork and she went through our other orders and pointed out that the shrimp dumplings came with pork. She then proceeded to inform me which ones didn't contain pork
- The queue was really long as usual and we were told we would have to wait about 45 mins. But 30 mins into waiting, another waitress came up to us and asked if we were ok to share a bigger table with other guests. We said ok and were ushered in.
- Turns out they placed us at an international table as the other guests who arrived were all Japanese... so all the waitresses and waitors who served our table were the ones who could speak fluent Japanese (and English of course, since they didn't know Dave is "from Japan" too)
- when our 1st dish arrived, the waitress checked our order list and confirmed if we did order a pork bun... which meant she actually knew that ours was the sort of "don't eat pork" type... and this was a different waitress from the one at the door.. so they have really efficient communication throughout the whole restaurant!
and finally, after our sumptious dinner with great service, we headed to Ice Monster 冰館 for some dessert: Mixed Fruit Ice! We were both so full after that :)So it has been a bunch of very fulfilling days and meals.. isn't it great when friends visit? :)
Weekend in Miaoli / Hsinchu - 25 and 26
I didn't realise how much of a backlog this was until I looked up the exact dates I was in Miaoli... But I'm committed to clearing all that backlog today so reader beware: you're in for my blogging diarrhea fit! :)
so yes... the trip to Miaoli was quite a last minute decision... Justian from YZLC MSNed me on Friday evening asking if I was interested in joining their ICX Functional Meeting (yes again.. I am becoming a regular on their monthly FMs) which will be held in Miaoli this month (April)... so naturally I said ok and next morning, we met up at Taipei Train Station for a 1.5 hour (I think) train ride to Miaoli.
Miaoli is further South of Taipei and at this time of the year (end April till early May) is famous for its Tung flower blossoms. This is the season when the flowers start falling from the trees and because the flowers are white and extremely plentiful, they have been described as 五月雪 or "Snow in May".. you can read more about the flower and the season HERE
Of course, one can see these flowers in other parts of Taiwan as well (even in Taipei) but this season is even more significant in Miaoli because of its link to the Hakka people and their culture, which is another characteristic of Miaoli...
If I could summarize this weekend trip to Miaoli in one word, that word will easily be: Nature.
We stayed at a peaceful hostel high in the mountains... riding up on scooters from the train station took us almost 45 mins and involved some pretty winding hill roads as well as some really really steep roads... but the scenary along the way was really amazing and once we were at the hostel, it was so refreshing to be away from the hustle and bustle of the city...
Here are some shots of the hostel (it's actually a 三合院, one of those oldish chinese houses with a courtyard in the middle) and the greenery found on the way to and around it... (they're a bit small but don't worry. I will provide my facebook photos link at the end of this post)
The hostel is called 黃石山莊 and I definitely recommend it to anyone looking to spend some time within nature... they only started operating early this year as a hostel. Their main "trade" is actually hand-making lights using bronze and colored glass so the craftsmen work in the left section of the house, while the hostel rooms are on the right...and needless to say, you'll get a chance to see their works of art around the house...
Anyway, after checking in we headed to the Wood Sculpture Museum area, not to visit the museum but to check out the mountain (hill?) park beside it... it was surprisingly crowded and goes to show how the Taiwanese enjoy their nature :)
We climbed up quite a lot of steps to reach the top of the hill and all along the side we could see Tung flowers on the ground... some people were even picking them up and stringing them into a flower bracelet :)
right at the top, we were greeted by the sight of a HUGE tea plantation maintained by some Buddhist society... and beside the plantation, there was a specially maintained meditation area which is open to the public.. (Shirley, I think you'll love this place :P)
So in terms of actually introducing Miaoli, this is really all I have... for the rest of my photos, check out http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=6633795&l=547d5e9d81&id=576355703
You'll find some shots of the hostel in the early morning with fog rolling all over the place.. it's like being in some really zen and heaven-ish place :)
We headed to Hsinchu on Sunday afternoon instead of staying on in Miaoli because the weather was getting quite bad with rain and lots of fog... and I didn't get to see much of Hsinchu since the trip was mainly to go for Karaoke there :) lots of fun, but more on Karaoke later on :)
so yes... the trip to Miaoli was quite a last minute decision... Justian from YZLC MSNed me on Friday evening asking if I was interested in joining their ICX Functional Meeting (yes again.. I am becoming a regular on their monthly FMs) which will be held in Miaoli this month (April)... so naturally I said ok and next morning, we met up at Taipei Train Station for a 1.5 hour (I think) train ride to Miaoli.
Miaoli is further South of Taipei and at this time of the year (end April till early May) is famous for its Tung flower blossoms. This is the season when the flowers start falling from the trees and because the flowers are white and extremely plentiful, they have been described as 五月雪 or "Snow in May".. you can read more about the flower and the season HEREOf course, one can see these flowers in other parts of Taiwan as well (even in Taipei) but this season is even more significant in Miaoli because of its link to the Hakka people and their culture, which is another characteristic of Miaoli...
If I could summarize this weekend trip to Miaoli in one word, that word will easily be: Nature.
We stayed at a peaceful hostel high in the mountains... riding up on scooters from the train station took us almost 45 mins and involved some pretty winding hill roads as well as some really really steep roads... but the scenary along the way was really amazing and once we were at the hostel, it was so refreshing to be away from the hustle and bustle of the city...
Here are some shots of the hostel (it's actually a 三合院, one of those oldish chinese houses with a courtyard in the middle) and the greenery found on the way to and around it... (they're a bit small but don't worry. I will provide my facebook photos link at the end of this post)The hostel is called 黃石山莊 and I definitely recommend it to anyone looking to spend some time within nature... they only started operating early this year as a hostel. Their main "trade" is actually hand-making lights using bronze and colored glass so the craftsmen work in the left section of the house, while the hostel rooms are on the right...and needless to say, you'll get a chance to see their works of art around the house...
Anyway, after checking in we headed to the Wood Sculpture Museum area, not to visit the museum but to check out the mountain (hill?) park beside it... it was surprisingly crowded and goes to show how the Taiwanese enjoy their nature :)
 |  |
right at the top, we were greeted by the sight of a HUGE tea plantation maintained by some Buddhist society... and beside the plantation, there was a specially maintained meditation area which is open to the public.. (Shirley, I think you'll love this place :P)
So in terms of actually introducing Miaoli, this is really all I have... for the rest of my photos, check out http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=6633795&l=547d5e9d81&id=576355703
You'll find some shots of the hostel in the early morning with fog rolling all over the place.. it's like being in some really zen and heaven-ish place :)
We headed to Hsinchu on Sunday afternoon instead of staying on in Miaoli because the weather was getting quite bad with rain and lots of fog... and I didn't get to see much of Hsinchu since the trip was mainly to go for Karaoke there :) lots of fun, but more on Karaoke later on :)
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