Monday 30 July 2012

Olympic dreams

We've heard it all before. These athletes train like mad to beat someone by a 1/100 second. Watching it is exciting. I'm sure winning is great.
If hardship is training in disguise, we are all training for some brief magic moment. An inspiring word, a hug, chastising even and the best one: entertaining angels without knowing it.

Maybe if we all get into our best shape as a person, these winning moments can multiply and make life a little better. There is a choice: stay in our valley or climb mount Olympus.

Monday 23 July 2012

Under the influence

I think teenage is not the only time we become invaded by hormones. No matter how mature minded, civilized, cultured, rich, educated or otherwise well prepared, endocrine forces invade our bodies. You might think I'm just blaming chemicals for our personal weakness. But we blame teenage oddness on it, why not the blues?
I see my own emotional ups and down in a daily cycle so clearly now except when I'm under their influence. So next time I feel down, maybe its not the person sitting across from me, or the person who ran into me even if it's on purpose....
Just take a deep breath. A miracle could have happened while we're fuming, feeling sorry, or just disappointed, and I don't want to miss that do I.

Knowing

Mary (my sister's) daughter Lily watched the Lion King 11 times in a row and drank soy sauce apparently. At least the little girl knows what she wants. During the 2 weeks since my foot was freed, much has happened. Doors are ajar and I started to get confused about which to choose. Why not be more like Lily? I want it when I want it one day at a time but just with a little more responsibility because we can't all drink soy sauce now can we.


If what I just said does not make sense, the future never makes complete sense. It's like looking through the rain drops on a window. It's never quite as sharp as you'd like until you take risks and experience what's there. 

Thursday 19 July 2012

Power outage?

An important phone call did not come last night because there was a power outage somewhere in the States. Talk about acts of God. The irony is that when you realize where real power lies, there is no fear, no confusion, no shying away but freedom to take enlightened steps to build the future. You see, electricity may have stopped but no power outage.

Wednesday 18 July 2012

Nature refresher

My father was right (damn!). Morning air is good for you especially near plants. I live about a block from the botanical gardens and have only been there in the afternoon or evening. Instead of the gym, I walked up the hill through the subtropical trees in the rain while the sun also shone. By the time I got home past the early rush down the escalators, I felt light, clear and ready to fight Goliath.
It's one of the things my dad said I had to do: be refreshed by nature. Actually it was something about negative ions... what were the other must dos?...

Tuesday 17 July 2012

Nibbled

I got a good nibble on my CV this week and will get a second phone interview tomorrow!

Talk about timing: a week since I've been wearing normal shoes. Yesterday, I even lost my slight limp from compensating for the uneven walking heights of each foot for 5 months. It was also the first very natural and impressive interview so far.

Monday 16 July 2012

Uncertainty is the new normal?

When I started this blog, I was in the middle of emotional doldrums. It was due to boredom, feeling restricted and a perceived silence. Much of my busy, social noise was gone and I felt uncertain of myself and the future. During my 18 day prison and 6 month investigation, I just wanted the whole thing to end so I'd be safe. Kind of like wanting a horror movie to end (because it was too frightening or just plane bad). But in life the movie does not end. Fears, uncertainty, risk, danger, disease and death haunt even atheists. When I was found not guilty, some of the horror followed me because I am always a part of the problem; not just the extraordinary circumstance. Even if it affected my health, I had to deal first with myself.

The future is uncertain because it has not been built. It's easy to hide behind temporary fixes of our routines, schedules and constant electronic contact thinking they give security. But they do not remove risk. Just like being certain the Sun rises, cannot guarantee we will not die today. Gruesome thinking or just life?

Uncertainty is normal but not new.

Wednesday 4 July 2012

Too positive?

When I had my middle toe amputation, it was suggested I was being too positive about the surgery. Maybe. But during my voluntary hermitage as the small wound healed, I believe I'm overly positive about people I care about. Always thinking they are at their best despite obvious signs of negative behavior. Without caring any less, seeing the truth of the moment could mean a separation or retreat from closeness. In the end, change is personal. All a third party can do is be there.

Tuesday 3 July 2012

In front of CY's new house

I know I know. HSBC is in the picture but I'm facing Government House. The picture is what you see if you lived there.
Just another view of familiar things.


Monday 2 July 2012

Space time continuum and being happy.

Existentialism and quantum mechanics were the holy grail for a younger Shing. Before geeks made billions and success of "the Big Bang theory", my physics major was an obscure unnoticed past. Now it's kind of mainstream I'll talk about it boldly.
Time is just a measurement of change. But it's necessary for us mortals to see how much time is left. So while we need it for science and convenience, measuring anything is by definition ... limiting.
Existentialism on the other hand is not in fashion. But it kind of encourages us not to be obsessed with time. For if only the present moment has practical and philosophic significance, why look at the clock?
Quantum mechanics is far cooler because you can't build an iPad without it. When you zero in on the smallest possible increment in time, energy only exists in distinct levels with nothing in between.
What I learn from "existential quanta" is that time doesn't matter in personal happiness.
I'm either completely happy or not at all, any one moment of existence, so recording how long I've been happy or unhappy is not useful.
Living moment by moment is actually a scientific and profoundly philosophical method on the level of special relativity theory.
If you're lost by what I said, just know it's cool to be a geek.