Ring Ring ! Christmas and a few good games

So Christmas of 2006 came and went, the table was once again filled with good food, family members came in crowds, the trees were lined with presents.

I got a brand new cell phone for christmas along with a few good books and an organizer from PRINTS ... good presesnts. ( big smile on my face )

After spending countless hours playing 'taboo' with the gin gang, we are all much more fluent and creative in describing objects and personalities in dialect and chinese. ( we got bored of the english version )

But Christmas is not really christmas if the key people are not present and christmas is not really christmas if you dont get to talk to your best friends ( stupid time zones ! ) And where is my SNOW ? I am so spoilt by Christmas in Canada ! WHERE is the snow ?

So.. what's new ? Ringing in the New Year with my Nokia 5300 MusicExpress and to a table of good food again at Chinese New Year !

New Year's Resolution for 2007 : To Travel to at least 4 countries.

Good Game ( do not play under the influence of alcohol )
http://www.dailyhaha.com/_flash/jeu_chiant.swf
You can aim to beat my score of 14.372 seconds !

PI

3.
14159 26535 89793 23846 26433 83279 50288 41971 69399 37510 58209 74944 59230 78164 06286 20899 86280 34825 34211 70679 82148 08651 32823 06647 09384 46095 50582 23172 53594 08128 48111 74502 84102 70193 85211 05559 64462 29489 54930 38196 44288 10975 66593 34461 28475 64823 37867 83165 27120 19091 45648 56692 34603 48610 45432 66482 13393 60726 02491 41273 72458 70066 06315 58817 48815 20920 96282 92540 91715 36436 78925 90360 01133 05305 48820 46652 13841 46951 94151 16094 33057 27036 57595 91953 09218 61173 81932 61179 31051 18548 07446 23799 62749 56735 18857 52724 89122 79381 83011 94912 98336 73362 44065 66430 86021 39494 63952 24737 19070 21798 60943 70277 05392 17176 29317 67523 84674 81846 76694 05132 00056 81271 45263 56082 77857 71342 75778 96091 73637 17872 14684 40901 22495 34301 46549 58537 10507 92279 68925 89235 42019 95611 21290 21960 86403 44181 59813 62977 47713 09960 51870 72113 49999 99837 29780 49951 05973 17328 16096 31859 50244 59455 34690 83026 42522 30825 33446 85035 26193 11881 71010 00313 78387 52886 58753 32083 81420 61717 76691 47303 59825 34904 28755 46873 11595 62863 88235 37875 93751 95778 18577 80532 17122 68066 13001 92787 66111 95909 21642 01989 ( its not over, but i think i will stop )

I have been extremely facinated with pi for a long time now. I read up on pi when I can and I like to know what the geeks out there have to say.

What is Pi ? Really ?

If you take any perfect circle, pi is the ratio of the circumference to the diameter. Simple yah ?

Now look below for a more complicated answer....

( from Dr.Math )
About Pi


Pi is an infinite decimal. Unlike numbers such as 3, 9.876, and 4.5, which have finitely many nonzero numbers to the right of the decimal place, pi has infinitely many numbers to the right of the decimal point.
If you write pi down in decimal form, the numbers to the right of the 0 never repeat in a pattern. Some infinite decimals do have patterns - for instance, the infinite decimal .3333333... has all 3's to the right of the decimal point, and in the number .123456789123456789123456789... the sequence 123456789 is repeated. However, although many mathematicians have tried to find it, no repeating pattern for pi has been discovered - in fact, in 1768 Johann Lambert proved that there cannot be any such repeating pattern.
As a number that cannot be written as a repeating decimal or a finite decimal (you can never get to the end of it) pi is irrational: it cannot be written as a fraction (the ratio of two integers).


A very brief history of pi

Pi is a very old number. We know that the Egyptians and the Babylonians knew about the existence of the constant ratio pi, although they didn't know its value nearly as well as we do today. They had figured out that it was a little bigger than 3; the Babylonians had an approximation of 3 1/8 ( 3.125), and the Egyptians had a somewhat worse approximation of 4*(8/9)^2 (about 3.160484), which is slightly less accurate and much harder to work with. For more, see A History of Pi by Petr Beckman (Dorset Press).


Maybe I am highly irrational like the number, maybe this is the reason why I like it ?

Signing off,

A Irrational Geek memorising Pi.

Have you ever stood in the pouring rain just thinking ? Have you paused to taste the rain or smell the rain then just smiling to yourself ?
It has been pouring recently but I have not have the chance to stand in the rain like I use to in the past and enjoy the rain.

I miss not being able to stand in the rain, I miss being soaked right through every single piece of clothing I have, and a foggy glasses. I miss the patter of raindrops on my shoulders, the gentle pressure and how despite the rain coming down continuously coming down, you can still feel a single drop running from your forehead to your chin.

Rain brings back a lot of memories, how I stand in the shade again, watch a puddle of water gather at my feet than figure out how I can get to the bathroom without creating the least mess.

The next time it rain, stop and think.. its the perfect time to think...and be inspired.

A series of unfortunate events

about 2 years later, i find myself typing again on a german keyboard. 2 years ago, it was jenny's laptop, this time, its Rene's laptop. I am stuck after passing some stuff and it is POURING rain ! ( this keyboard def. takes some getting use to ! this shot little paragraph has taken me a very long time to type...... )

once again i see the strange symbols........ µ ö ä even ß ! the Y and the Z are in different positions.

With my cousin's wake coming to an end and the upset stomach coming to an end with the pass of the food poisoning phase, i am slowly feeling normal again. I have been cursed with a series of unfortunate events.....

Some learnings from the weekend :

1 ) its SUCKS to have food posioning ! you feel like you constantly have to vomit and at times, you just want to rip out your stomach, turn it inside out and just empty it.

2 ) its difficult to see someone pass away at a young age. It is difficult for the people around the person and it takes a while to settle it. At this point, it has not quite registered in my mind that my cousin is gone. Maybe my brain is telling my heart that he has gone for a permanent vacation......

3 ) you know who are your friends when you dont have to tell them that you are down with food poisoning and the automatically know ! ( glenn and the jin gang : how did you know ? )

4 ) you know which of your friends know what to say to you when you are feeling sad and they miss call you to let you know that they are there if you need someone to talk to.

5 ) no matter where and how are away from home you are. It is important to constantly be in touch.
------------------------------

Fortunately for me , i am jumping back into work tomorrow and i have that to look forward to.

Clinical and Brain Death

For the longest time, I pondered about Brain Death and Clinical Death. I am not sure myself which I would accept as death. The brain is just as important as the heart and when only one fails. Who is to determine which is more important and when do you say your final goodbye ?
When the brain cease to recognize you ? or when the heart no longer beats ?

It has not settled or sink into me yet. I can still hear the regular beats and sounds of the life support machine and I still read the blood pressure / heartbeat on the monitor screen. The numbers tell me that he is still alive. I know legally he is not but emotionally, he has not gone.

It hurts trememdously to know that I lost my cousin and it hurts even more to remember the memories but life moves on. I know at least he saved the lives of 5 other by donating his organs.

Caught in another moment

It has been a long time since I am caught in a moment like this and I have to remind myself to breathe.
It has been a long time I have to deal with this kind of lost-ness and this kind of heartache.

A sudden, accidental, unexpected or traumatic incident shatters the world as we know it. It is often a loss that does not make sense. We realize that life is not always fair and that sometimes bad things happen to good people. The sudden-ness leaves us feeling shaken, unsure and vulnerable.

Too many things are running through my mind and my brains are filled up with feelings of numbness, unreality and fear. I am angry about the accident and I cannot even explain it to myself. I am trained to handle stress and tramatic incidents, to remain calm in many difficult situations. I think I can remain strong for now. I think...

For now, I can only pray.

At that very moment

Too many thoughts running through one's head at one moment.

Funny how I was just commenting on being different and how proudly i acclaim that I like being different and I am so different myself. What i did not realise was that I was saying that because I was the odd ball out and I am the crazy one. This is a whole new different story when you are dealing with a different someone else. Its bring differences to a different level.

I went shopping with someone who has a very unique and different personality. He has a personality that most girls will either find very charming and also it is not difficult to see how girls will stand in line and fall for him OR just hate him. According to 3 girlfriends I asked, they would not stand for his behaviour, surprisingly, I was fine with it. The thought of accepting different personality did come across my mind and maybe perhaps.. it was that very thought that changed my attitude.

In Another Moment

I spoke to Kelly on the phone on my way back the other day, and she mentioned to me how she can finally understand how some girls think. All my life, I have despiced girls who are materialistic, throw themselves at sugar daddy's who can buy them their branded prada. When I see one on the street, I usually have nasty looks for them ! ( hahaha, maybe one will realise her worth and change her ways ! ) I do not have respect for them and often reinforce the idea of being independent and standing on my own two feet.

When Kelly called and told me her point of view, I finally understood how it might be difficult for girls to say no. A young girl will have to work HOURS before she can afford a branded bag and maybe it will be difficult to say no at that very moment when someone pampers you with gifts so easily...

My opinions about such girls have not changed and i personally know one or two of them, I hate their actions but personally, they are still very nice people inside.
These are very valuable lessons to draw from, and I have had very illuminating conversations with a couple of people I know, and these conversations were made to last ....

Some crazy song is playing through my mind, over and over again.. i dont even know the title. just the tune..

P.S : Singapore brought home anoth gold medal form the Asian Games at Doha. The 3rd gold came from our body-builders. 1 from Swimming, 1 from Bowling and another from Body-Building... hmm... a nation of many talents ! hee hee... I think the sailing team is going to bring in another 3 or 4 ?

A Quick Check on my Surroundings

The air-conditioner is on, silently spouting cold air.

With my eyes focused on my Computer screen and ears peeled to the Live Badminton Match at Doha, Singapore vs Korea. At this very moment, my heart sings a little.. we won our second gold medal and Xing A Y is playing well thus far..

Silently... I am praying hard for Team Singapore. I feel strangely patriotic and I am proud of Team Singapore.

A Happy Feet Review

( Continue Reading only if you have seen the movie, or read because you don't intend to anyways ! )

Call me old fashion but I think I prefer my Cartoons to be plain old cartoons with no underlying messages. The animation is great and the humor is good for adults, easing the pain of having to sit through the movie with a kid. It was worth my $7 but having said that, I think Happy Feet has a few underlying messages that we can do something thinking about.

Overfishing and Animal Preservation:
Although I can't help but smile knowing that 'green messages' are subtly getting to the little kids, I wonder how long are the messages going to stay with them ? At the of it all, if this movie will make kids more environmentally conscious, I guess it a good movie.

Religion comes into play:
Happy Feet did not protray any religion in neither positive nor negative ways but there were some pretty strong Christian overtones.. ya ?

Sexual Innuendos :
Sure, they add appeal to young adults and older audience but in a cartoon ? Maybe the kids were not able to follow but sexual innuendos in a cartoon ?? for 4 or 5 year olds ? Lovelace with so many partners ? Children fall in love with movie characters, get the DVD, watch it too many times, memorise the line, act like they are the character and eventually take on the language ? That's bad.. no ?

Songs and Soundtrack:
I would rave on and on about the good vocals ( not particularly strong but good ), I guess they did a good job.

Final Thought : Being Different.
Funny how I previously blogged about being different and how this movie is about being different... accepting difference, how Mumble fits in with other penguins that doesn't look like him but cannot seem to fit in with his own species. Mumble is a true individual and one that has my respect, ( of course, his momma too ! Norma Jean ) It is also heart-warming to see him being strong for himself and sticking with his dance.

I thought about how some asian parents just want their kid to be normal, to lead a normal life, don't stand out too much. SIGH ! Let the kids be free ! be strange, let them think different be different, let them follow their heart, study fine arts ( maybe wont give you an iron bowl of rice ) but let them go in search of the aliens they are looking for !

My poor dad just wants me to be normal but I am horribly not normal.
Maybe my dad should see this movie. ITS PERFECTLY FINE TO BE DIFFERENT !

A Smile Appeared

Today was a hectic day, despite coughing violently and losing my sense of smell. I went to work all in hopes of working my flu + cough + headache + sore throat away. I seen a lousy doctor who barely knows her stuff. ( I seemed to be answering my own questions during consultation ) But.... Nooooo... it didnt go away... but I did get better.

On my way home, I ran into Janine and her sister, that brought a quarter smile ! Then I sat down and read a couple of emails from friends, and my first Christamd card of 2006 that is another quarter smile ! Chatted with a friend online who is also sick, in need of clearing his head and very much capable of making me laugh (between my coughing fits) and he brought another quarter smile.

The last quarter smile came when Team Singapore brought home our first goal medal from Doha, 15th Asian Game. Congrats and a job well done to the Women's Bowling Team.

Not playing with the rest...

We boil at different degrees.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson


I am sure by now. I would have countless entries on differences and being different.
And because this topic came up again over the weekend while conversing with a friend. I guess because I feel so strongly about it, here's another.

Case 1 :

Imagine if everyone you knew looked, talked, dressed, thought and acted the same? Then, there would have been no Walt Disney, no Minister Mentor Lee or Tiger Woods.

You would agree with me "That's pretty boring." In this case, you will prob think that being different is pretty ok or maybe being different is good because both you and I don't want to live in a "boring" world.


Case 2 :

A group of children age 5 is playing in a playground, they seem to be engrossed in an intense conversation, their voices lowered, their faces serious with occasional giggles, they seem to be deep in plotting strategies and 1 girl sat away from the group reading. She is well-liked by her peers and she often is invited to join the group in their games but this time, she prefers to sit out of the game. Its not because she doesnt know how to play the game, or is bad at it, nor just had a fight with the group or anything else. She just didn't feel like playing with the group.

What is most people's reaction to this ? Ah. there must be something wrong with this little girl who refuses to play with the rest of the kids ?

How many of us have the following thoughts running through our minds
- Why is this little girl not playing with everyone else ?
- How can I help this little girl play with the rest ?

She is being different ( different being the same word used in case 1 ), she has her individual thoughts and feelings and she doesnt feel as if she has to play the game even when everyone else is playing it. Why is everyone else not playing with her ? or why help the little girl play with the rest when she seems at ease, happily engaged in reading ?

Why is it that Singaporeans in general do not have an appreciation for 'differences' ? Why Why Why ?

If Singaporeans can acceptance with food differences, eating with our hands, fork and knive, spoons and even chopsticks. Or if we have gone to school with someone of a different race all our lives, and learn to celebrate their festivals and truly be happy for them. If annually, a bunch of young people( namely AIESECers ) around the world learn to work with different cultures, warmly welcomes people of another culture into our lives or eagerly learns about other cultures and even integrate ourselves into different cultures.

Can we too extend this acceptance to more differences ? So my dear friends, i love to hear about your advantures, your insights into accepting a girl who doesnt want to play with the crowd. No she is not stubborn, she is just different.

Someone blew me away ... ...

I went book shopping today ! Yeah ! and someone said something witty and completely blew me away. It was a good statement, it made sense and it made me laugh !

It was a good laugh and I jumped for joy when Kelly got her job !

Why should we buy books and not go to the library ?