My latest read - The Book of Five Rings

I was clearing up the files and folders in my laptop, and came across an ebook I got quite some years back.. I don't even remember who passed it to me...

The book is titled "The Book of Five Rings" or "五輪書" or "Go Rin No Sho" written by the samurai warrior Miyamoto Musashi in 1645.

In general, it presents his teachings on sword-fighting strategy and Zen philosophy but like Sun Tzu's "Art of War", it's applicability extends into life and all forms of competition (including businesses).

in any case, should be an interesting read.. update and thoughts after I am done :)

My Video "productions"

As mentioned in an earlier post, I was helping out with the organizing of the AIESEC Singapore Gala Dinner 2008. This year being the global 60th Anniversary for AIESEC, the celebrations in Singapore were aimed at being much much bigger too... so yes the Dinner was held on 13th Dec 2008 to great success, with a total turnout of almost 300 people...

I'm happy that my videos were screened during the dinner as well so here they are.. all these are made using the Pinnacle Studio 12 software... I can't say I'm an expert in video editing but at the least I'm much better than when I first started using the software :)

Opening Video to Gala Dinner 2008


History of AIESEC Singapore - 1972 to 2008


Tribute To Mr. Mike Gorrie


and this is something outside of the Gala Dinner, the introduction video to Developing Leaders Day 2008

Back from KL!

I'm back from KL! the trip was a short one, we left Singapore on Friday afternoon and got back on Sunday night... so all in all, really just a 2 day trip...

But what a great 2 day trip it was! From catching up with old friends by dropping by the MyLDS site for 1 night stay over, to heading to KL city and checking into a backpacker hostel I stayed at in 2005, to eating LOTS of yummy yummy food, to enjoying fantastic AIESEC Malaysia RACE Dinner (formal dinner) and taking photos plus catching up with old friends, to all the random conversations had with the boys I was traveling with and to the fulfilling massage...

what a great trip... am totally refreshed coming back :)

next big thing: AIESEC Singapore NLDS! am interested to see how I will adapt to playing a non-faci role (the last time I was a full delegate was in 2004... I have been agenda manager and facilitator for all NLDS since then) but looking forward to it!

Out of Town...

I'm going to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to sight see a bit and to attend the RACE 2008 Dinner! (that's the AIESEC Malaysia Gala Dinner)

on a slightly related note, next week is Singapore NLDS!

So will be disappearing from the blogging scene for a while :)

Questions Questions

Found this on wan xin's blog and I was bored so decided to do it...


Copy the list below and bold all of the ones you have done.

1. Touched an iceberg
2. Slept under the stars
3. Been a part of a hockey fight
4. Changed a baby’s diaper
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Swam with wild dolphins
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a tarantula
10. Said “I love you” and meant it
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Bet on a winning horse
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Taken an ice cold bath
28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Ridden a roller coaster
31. Hit a home run
32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
33. Adopted an accent for fun
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment
36. Loved your job 90% of the time
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Watched wild whales
39. Gone rock climbing (rock wall yes, rock no)
40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach
41. Gone sky diving
42. Visited Ireland
43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited India
45. Bench-pressed your own weight
46. Milked a cow
47. Alphabetized your personal files
48. Ever worn a superhero costume
49. Sung karaoke
50. Lounged around in bed all day
51. Gone scuba diving
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Done something you should regret, but don’t
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Been in a movie
60. Gone without food for 3 days
61. Made cookies from scratch
62. Won first prize in a costume contest (I didn't wear the costume.. just helped make it)
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Been in a combat zone
65. Spoken more than one language fluently
66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone
67. Bounced a check
68. Read - and understood - your credit report
69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy
70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
71. Called or written your Congress person
72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
74. Helped an animal give birth
75. Been fired or laid off from a job
76. Won money
77. Broken a bone
78. Ridden a motorcycle (does riding as a passenger count?)
79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph
80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing (I once slept through takeoff and flight but woke up before landing)
82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
83. Eaten sushi
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read The Bible cover to cover
86. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
87. Gotten someone fired for their actions
88. Gone back to school
89. Changed your name
90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands
91. Eaten fried green tomatoes
92. Read The Iliad
93. Taught yourself an art from scratch
94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating.
95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
97. Been elected to public office
98. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
101. Had a booth at a street fair
102. Dyed your hair
103. Been a DJ (at AIESEC Conferences! Haha)
104. Rocked a baby to sleep
105. Dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all fours (I thought of it but couldn’t get a cat haha)
106. Raked your carpet
107. Brought out the best in people
108. Brought out the worst in people
109. Worn a mood ring
110. Ridden a horse
111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap (I carved it out of chalk)
112. Cooked a dish where four people asked for the recipe
113. Buried a child
114. Gone to a Broadway (or equivalent to your country) play
115. Been inside the pyramids
116. Shot a basketball into a basket
117. Danced at a disco
118. Played in a band
119. Shot a bird
120. Gone to an arboretum
121. Tutored someone
122. Ridden a train
123. Brought an old fad back into style
124. Eaten caviar
125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need
126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant
127. Published a book
128. Pieced a quilt
129. Lived in an historic place
130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage
131. Asked for a raise
132. Made a hole-in-one
133. Gone deep sea fishing
134. Gone roller skating
135. Run a marathon
136. Learned to surf
137. Invented something
138. Flown first class
139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite
140. Flown in a helicopter
141. Visited Africa
142. Sang a solo
143. Gone spelunking
144. Learned how to take a compliment
145. Written a love-story
146. Seen Michelangelo’s David
147. Had your portrait painted
148. Written a fan letter
149. Spent the night in something haunted
150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane
151. Ran away
152. Learned to juggle
153. Been a boss
154. Sat on a jury
155. Lied about your weight
156. Gone on a diet
157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget
158. Written a poem
159. Carried your lunch in a lunchbox
160. Gotten food poisoning
161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission
162. Hiked the Grand Canyon
163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks
164. Gone to the opera
165. Gotten a letter from someone famous
166. Worn knickers
167. Ridden in a limousine
168. Attended the Olympics
169. Can hula or waltz (learnt it but I suck at it)
170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books
171. Been stuck in an elevator
172. Had a revelatory dream
173. Thought you might crash in an airplane
174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert
175. Saved someone’s life
176. Eaten raw whale
177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint
178. Laughed till your side hurt
179. Straddled the equator
180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing
181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival
182. Sent a message in a bottle
183. Spent the night in a hotel
184. Been a cashier
185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
186. Joined a union
187. Donated blood or plasma
188. Built a campfire
189. Kept a blog
190. Had hives
191. Worn custom made shoes or boots
192. Made a PowerPoint presentation
193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course
194. Served at a soup kitchen
195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube
196. Know CPR
197. Ridden in or owned a convertible
198. Found a long lost friend
199. Helped solve a crime
200. Responded to a NJP newsletter

Cost of pulling in the IMF

The following is extracted from Dawn.com, the online edition of the most popular newspaper in Pakistan:

IMF conditions may result in 3m job cuts: economists
Sher Baz Khan
Saturday, 29 Nov, 2008 | 10:36 AM PST |

ISLAMABAD: Conditions attached to the $7.6 billion International Monetary Fund loan are expected to cause up to three million job cuts in different sectors and push another 5.6 million to 7.5 million Pakistanis into poverty over the next two years.

This was stated by the chief economist of the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), Mr Sakib Shirani, at a discussion on the IMF loan organised here on Friday by the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS). A number of economists and industrialists attended the discussion.However, Mr Shirani, who was part of the talks held in Dubai between Pakistani and IMF officials, said the government was left with no option but to seek the IMF ‘standby arrangements’.

The topic of the discussion was ‘IMF: pain or panacea’.

When asked about the immediate fallout of the conditions which was aimed at slowing down the import-led economic growth, Mr Shirani said that two to three million people would lose their jobs in various sectors, including fertiliser, manufacturing and services.

He said the GDP growth was expected to slow down to 3.4 per cent this year. ‘Some 5.6 to 7.5 million people will be added to the existing number of poor’.

...

CRSS executive director Dr Farrukh Saleem said Pakistan was facing three problems — trust deficit, budgetary deficit — the government raises Rs1.5 trillion as revenue and spends Rs2 trillion — and trade deficit — the country imports goods worth $35 billion and exports goods worth $20 billion. ‘Pakistan is now like a patient who is suffering from a severe heart attack and the only doctor around is the IMF.’

He said that over the past 64 years the IMF had been following a standard prescription: increase taxation, reduce government expenditure and devalue currency. But, he said, a large majority of the IMF recipients, including Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Haiti, Indonesia, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Pakistan, Paraguay, Philippines, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Thailand and Congo, had failed to implement these measures.

The panelists were of the view that an increase in taxation would mean a further slowdown in the economy which would mean an increase in unemployment. ‘Same thing is with the rate of interest. The high cost of capital leads to closure of a number of industrial units, meaning more unemployment.’

to read the article in full, click HERE

Having read "The Shock Doctrine" by Naomi Klein (see previous posts HERE), I find the contents of this article quite disturbing... I am not an economist, and probably am extremely clueless about how to fix fiscal deficits and such... but speaking as a person on the street, I wonder about the very high costs associated with the option of receiving aid from the IMF. It is sad that pumping this money into this economy will make life harder for those who have been working hard on driving the economy all these while... I wonder also, if such dire consequences would have been predicted if the government of Pakistan had gone with some other option of funding...

My heart goes out to all the locals who will be suffering from these painful measures in the next few years...

Knots in the heart...

some steps have been taken...

but can these knots really ever be sorted out?

The Geek in Me

I've recently been trying out some new softwares and new ideas...

well not entirely new software.. my laptop has had Macromedia Flash installed since I bought it in March, but I never got down to learning how to use it... but now, I'm happy to present my FIRST ever Flash banner!! It's there on the left of my sidebar, for the AIESEC 60th Anniversary Celebration Dinner in December 2008 :) yes, yes it's very simple but hey, I'm still proud of it! unfortunately, it is only viewable on Firefox and not IE.. I have no idea how to fix that so drop me a message if you do know! (you can out it on your blog and website too! Just click HERE)

Have been 'revising' some of my Dreamweaver and HTML techniques too with the new website for the same event, at www.aiesec.org.sg/60th/ again, very simple website and the most challenging thing was to get the photo slideshow to work properly

Have also recently acquired Pinaccle Studio 12, a movie editing software that is more powerful than Windows Media Player...

And yes I am still going through, albeit quite slowly, my Dummies Guide to VBA Programming in Excel 2007...

So yup! these few days will be spent playing around with Flash, Pinaccle Studio and VBA for Excel..

I'm so excited! :)

Another book finished!

I have (finally) finished my book "The Shock Doctrine" by Naomi Klein... it's been quite an intense read, with the author tracing through history and approaches by various institutions across the world as nations seek to embrace capitalism and free markets.

I've never studied or read much details about free markets or the role of governments before this but I have to say the book is quite an eye-opener, especially right now after the US elections (and the various promises on the future and attacks on Bush made by Mr Obama) and now as global economies start melting down.

There's a lot of content in the book, which I won't be divulging... but it's all presented in an easy-to-follow flow... it starts off first talking about research into torture tactics and its translation into a step-by-step guide used by the CIA and many other institutions around the world. Using the principles from torture and shock tactics, the author draws the link between such individual actions and collective actions taken by governments and institutions in a bid to speed up implementation of the free-market model as expounded by the University of Chicago Economic Faculty, a model which is a brain child of Milton Friedman, famed Economist.

The book looks at how true democracy and people rule have rarely prevailed in the bringing in of 'free markets', and how this particular model works on the basis of true non-intervention in the market. This ultimately suggests that the government should not interfere with market forces even in areas such as health-care, education and infrastructure. Rather, governments should focus on de-regulation and let market forces take over. Due to the rather drastic nature of such a market model, the author argues, through examples in Latin America, South Africa, China, Middle East, post-Soviet Poland and Russia, of how such measures have been forced into implementation by coups, violence, dictatorships and pressure from the IMF and US government.

The book also takes an extensive look at the US economy under the Bush administration in terms of out-sourcing contracts and functions to private companies, and the role that the Iraq war has played in the creation of new, super-wealthy individuals and companies while local Iraqis watch helplessly as their country and wealth get pillaged openly. Looking at the current state of the US economy with recession fears widespread, a huge and growing national debt, established banks and auto companies falling like bricks, one does start to wonder about the approach towards 'free market'.

Finally, the book looks at how natural disasters such as the Asia tsunami in 2004 and Hurrican Katrina in the US have paved the way for erasure of old life and presented an opportunity for 'free market'-hungry institutions to push through the debris and rebuild their ideal models from scratch, at the expense of improving the lives of thousands of affected citizens.

Some might say that the book makes for perfect conspiracy theories, and leads one to doubt the motives behind governments and supposed-impartial global institutions. Nevertheless, the book offers hope too as we look at countries who have rebuilt themselves from the ashes and chaos from this particular economic model. It also highlights how with information moving across the world faster, people are more cautious and aware should similar measures be forced onto them.

Personally, I find it heartening that governments are starting to question again the meaning of free markets, and the role that governments, the IMF and World Bank have in ensuring stability in their own nations and around the world. While the answers will probably take quite a while to sort out, we can only hope that current fears of 'de-regulation' and certain 'free market' models will not drive us to the extreme of severe protectionism and control.

A Great Watch!

I caught Avenue Q - The Musical at the Esplanade on Sunday with a bunch of the AIESEC interns and I have to say, the kind-of-pricey ticket was totally worth it!

The musical had great songs, great visuals, and a really simple but cute plot... not to mention the extremely politically incorrect content featured that kept us laughing for most of the 2 hour show...

and I especially appreciate the nature of the show's content considering that we never get such uncensored versions ever in mainstream Singapore media...

Definitely a high recommend from my side!

To find out more, click HERE

Why Barack Obama has made history

Pangea Day

In a world where people are often divided by borders, difference, and conflict, it's easy to lose sight of what we all have in common.

Pangea Day seeks to overcome that — to help people see themselves in others — through the power of film.

Check out http://pangeaday.org/index.php and watch the featured films... some of the films are quite short... but very powerful in terms of the messages sent across...

I was particularly struck by this one film titled "More", which tells the story of an old inventor who lives a grey, gloomy life and how he pursues bliss in his life -> Click Here to watch More

Another great film is titled "Papiroflexia" (Spanish for “origami”) and is about shaping the world with our own hands -> Click here to watch Papiroflexia

so funny

this is so funny :)
found on http://www.feministing.com/archives/011676.html

Photos from my travels

I finally took the time to sort my photos and to upload them on Facebook...
so with that, let me introduce a new addition to this blog!!

Check out the side bar, with the drop down menu for My Travel Album

I am still in the process of uploading photos from the various countries I have visited (mostly thanks to AIESEC, and mostly from July 07 to July 08) so stay tuned as the list grows!

Countries listed so far include:
Skopje, Macedonia - Feb 08
Ohrid, Macedonia - Feb 08
Sofia, Bulgaria - Feb 08
Tokyo, Japan - Mar 08
Guang Zhou, China - May 08
Bandung, Indonesia - June 08
Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam - July 08

Shortest and longest

Following a comment that I have never had long hair all this time in AIESEC, I decided to showcase proof of when my hair was shortest, and longest :)

This is me in March 2008 in Tokyo, Japan. and yes my hair was long enough to tie up...

This is a little bit more close-up...

And finally.. the shortest I think in my whole AIESEC career as you can see from this shot in May or June 2006...

Latest Read

My latest book acquired is The Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein...

In THE SHOCK DOCTRINE, Naomi Klein explodes the myth that the global free market triumphed democratically. Exposing the thinking, the money trail and the puppet strings behind the world-changing crises and wars of the last four decades, The Shock Doctrine is the gripping story of how America’s “free market” policies have come to dominate the world-- through the exploitation of disaster-shocked people and countries. Click here to read more...

Here, you can also find a short video about Naomi Klein's research on disaster capitalism...



Hopefully the book proves to be an interesting read...

In a fit of randomness...

What Sharon Means

You are the total package - suave, sexy, smart, and strong. You have the whole world under your spell, and you can influence almost everyone you know. You don't always resist your urges to crush the weak. Just remember, they don't have as much going for them as you do. You are truly an original person. You have amazing ideas, and the power to carry them out. Success comes rather easily for you... especially in business and academia. Some people find you to be selfish and a bit overbearing. You're a strong person. You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection. You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive. You have the classic “Type A” personality. You are wild, crazy, and a huge rebel. You're always up to something. You have a ton of energy, and most people can't handle you. You're very intense. You definitely are a handful, and you're likely to get in trouble. But your kind of trouble is a lot of fun. You are well rounded, with a complete perspective on life. You are solid and dependable. You are loyal, and people can count on you. At times, you can be a bit too serious. You tend to put too much pressure on yourself. You are very intuitive and wise. You understand the world better than most people. You also have a very active imagination. You often get carried away with your thoughts. You are prone to a little paranoia and jealousy. You sometimes go overboard in interpreting signals.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

Potrayal of Singapore from a different perspective

I found the World Report 2008 by the Human Rights Watch, the largest human rights organization based in the United States. You can find out more about them at http://hrw.org/about/whoweare.html

If you're free to check it out, go to page 321 and read what they have to say about Singapore.

It's always interesting to see what others say about us from their perspectives...

it's also interesting that if you read the section on Malaysia, you will find no mention of their law on sodomy; whereas in the section on Singapore, you will find a section on Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Rights due to the existence of law 377A...

Book Review and thoughts...

Having finished the book "Jihad - The Rise of Militant Islam in Central Asia" sometime last week, this post is a summary of my thoughts about the issues highlighted in the book.

In General
The book is an interesting read, especially for those interested in the history of the region, in foreign policies and the power play among neighbouring states, and in the evolution of people's mindsets about Islam. What makes it an even more captivating read is that information is presented in a relatively un-biased way. The author presents facts from bureaucrats and militants alike, he presents facts from the history of these nations and their interactions with each other, he presents information about the different branches of Islam. All these coming from a Muslim and a journalist with years of experience in the region lends credibility and also removes possibility of the information being mis-interpreted in a negative way. (you get this with some books written about Islam by non-Muslims)

Collaboration VS Self-interest in Power Play of Countries
The author makes a very clear point that countries such as the US, Russia, China, Pakistan, Turkey etc all have keen interest in the Central Asian states. This is largely due to the huge reserves of oil and natural gas that these states are sitting on. While international aid has been extended to the Central Asian states and some states are making an effort to draw in foreign investment, these moves have yet to translate into real economic and social reforms that benefit the average citizen on the streets due to overriding presence of corruption. The author also points out that much of these aid and investments are not conditional on reforms taking place, and this reflects the gap between the profit-driven and self-interest mindsets that exists as opposed to the a bigger-picture and socially responsible mindsets that are needed.

The author presents a lot more points regarding the power play between states interested in the region, as well as the self-interest attitudes of governments within the Central Asian states themselves so I won't reveal them all.

Something that really struck me was the difficult balance facing states and governments in today's highly globalised world. These institutions generally pursue the concept of globalisation, especially since it facilitates so much of our trade, investments and economies today. Yet at the same time, there exists the 'general understanding' of a non-intervention policy outside of our own countries, which in basic terms simply means that as my neighbour, you are free to comment on what's happening in my house but you don't shouldn't take any action or interfere too much since it's not your house, even if my actions may be causing you discomfort.

There's no better example of this difficulty than that of the financial crisis happening right now. As the melt-down of Wall Street in the US sends shockwaves through the global community and governments and banks scramble to take action, we see how on one hand, the IMF is calling for a coordinated approach among European nations and on the other hand, Ireland and Germany have gone ahead with their own stands and actions. So on one hand, we can see how it makes sense that these countries are acting to protect the interests of their own people, and on the other hand, we see how sensitive it is when there are expectations (in the union) to make a collective stand for the greater good.

'What counts above all is coordination and the will not to act each for himself as we have seen a little bit in some European cases.'
INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND CHIEF DOMINIQUE STRAUSS-KAHN

So while globalisation has taken off, along with the flourishing of trade laws, global governing bodies and international standards, we are still struggling with the other doors that globalisation opens up. How do we manage the safety and interests of our own countries while taking a consistent stand on the actions of other countries whose actions impact us? If trade and economic relations are such key drivers for the opening of a country's doors to the world that they can easily become the trump card for placing pressure for positive change, why then has the concept of social responsibility still only remained within the sphere of companies and businesses instead of being extended between states? instead of something driven together by both government and companies?

Reflection...

in AIESEC, we talk about the AIESEC Experience and the stage of Heading for the Future... it's kind of the last stage in the whole AIESEC Experience, and is important because it is the point where you take time to reflect on your journey in AIESEC to see how much you have grown (or not) as an individual, to reassess where you stand with regards to your personal goals, and to see how you can move on to other things in life while continuing to pursue those goals... it's like reflecting and writing the last chapter of your AIESEC story...

I have recently fully experienced the wonders of this stage... having finished my President term for AIESEC Singapore in early August, I have been taking this 1 month or so to just chill, take things a bit slower, as well as to start the process of finding an internship abroad through AIESEC...

and I truly appreciate the fact that things move much slower now.. such that I have the time to really think back on the past 5 years of AIESEC involvement... to question myself on whether I have changed, how I have changed or more fundamentally, who am I?

after all... if I am made up of the experiences of my past, then 5 years is quite a lot of impact on who I am today...

since I am still occassionally helping out the AIESEC members, I now look at things and present my thoughts from a different perspective... I have been having some very interesting realisations and thoughts stemming from there...

it's hard to explain, and I am sure more thoughts and insights will be made as time goes by... but I am happy with how my brain is being active in this sense nowadays...

on a slightly different note, my brain is also happy as it is actively reading.. books, internet, articles... I am expanding my thoughts and perspectives!