Overheard in Taiwan

CKS Memorial Hall station, copyright by me.

At Taipei's Metro subway of Chiang Kai Shek Memorial station, a pair of couple on the elevator:

Girl: why are you pulling me to the right and not standing by my side?
       “你為什麼把我拉到右邊，又不站在我旁邊？”

Guy: Don't act like the Mainland people.
        “別像大陸人一樣”

Girl: What about the Mainland people?
        “大陸人怎麼了”

Guy: They stand on the left side of the elevator.
        “他們都站在電梯左邊。”


Note: It's very comfortable walking on the street in Taiwan, and especially using the elevator. EVERYONE stands on the right side and gives way to people who are in "rush minute/ hour" to run on the left side. I only encountered once where 2 ladies were 'blocking' the way on the left side of the elevator standing next to their friend(s), and later overheard their conversation and found out they are not Taiwanese :-)

Taiwan is awesome!

Korea, can you ever achieve that???

Last 4 nights of Ramadhan

Muslims are now in the last 4 nights of Ramadan. Usually at this time, they are more reflective – muhasabah diri – as they await Lailatul Qadr, the Night of Honour, a night better than a thousand  nights. It is the night when the angels descend on earth on God’s errand taking account of Man’s deeds throughout the last one year; the night when good men would seek atonement for mistakes of the past year.  And it is the night when God would Forgive Man for all his sins and Bless him for the coming year. 


Copied and pasted here from Din Merican :)

Speechless

男人就好比洋葱，想要看到男人的心就需要一层一层去剥，但在剥的过程中你会不断流泪，剥到最后你才知道洋葱是没有心的。

50th post: You are the CSS to my HTML

I love this :)

• But heck I hate to read and understand CSS. Plan to start another blog with password protection feature but to understand the CSS in order to edit the template and customize the site is a pain in the ass for me.

You can actually buy the T-shirt HERE.

Happy birthday Confucius 孔夫子

Confucius is born 2559 years ago, happy birthday 孔夫子!

*Western Georgian calender is 28 September; Chinese Lunar calender is 27th day of 8th lunar month, which falls on 15 October this year 2009)*

Am posting this because in Mainland China they are celebrating the teacher's day in conjunction with Confucius birthday today.

Some well known Confucian quotes:

• "When you have faults, do not fear to abandon them." 知錯能改，善莫大焉。(Lit: To know your faults and be able to change is the greatest virtue.)

• "What you do not wish for yourself, do not do to others" 己所不欲，勿施於人。

• "With coarse rice to eat, with water to drink, and my crooked arm for a pillow - is not joy to be found therein? Riches and honors acquired through unrighteousness are to me as the floating clouds" 疏食飲水，曲肱而枕，樂在其中矣。不義而富貴，于我如浮雲。

• "To understand nothing is to understand everything." 知錯大 能改，善樂在其莫焉。

I disagree with the translation for the last quote. It should mean something like "know your wrong deeds and willing to correct them, there is joy in doing so". I am not sure of the meaning of the second verse though .but the first verse is definitely about "to realize what is wrong and attempt to correct it". We learn this in the shortened form: 知過能改，善莫大焉 during primary school. I don't think I am mistaken about this, but... who knows the larger meaning of it is "to understand nothing is to understand everything"?

Argh, unacceptable. That English translation is deviated too far away from its true meaning!

When I googled and apparently lots of Chinese site take this translation and circulate it as the correct translation for the proverb. Oh please Wikipedia, that is wrong!

Art works related to Confucius: http://www.onelittleangel.com/wisdom/art/sacred.asp?mc=15

Do you spend money you haven't earned to impress people you don't like?

"Too many people spend money they haven't earned, to buy things they don't want, to impress people they don't like."

~ Will Smith

I want to remind myself not to be this kind of people. It's hard to imagine these words of wisdom comes from a superstar like Will Smith. May be that's why he's rich!

Update:

Smith spent money freely during his early career and underpaid his income taxes. The Internal Revenue Service eventually assessed a $2.8 million tax debt against Smith, took many of his possessions, and garnished his income. He was nearly bankrupt in 1990. Reference: Smith, Will. Interview with Steve Kroft. 60 Minutes. CBS. 2007-12-02.

Easier to forgive or Easier to run?

Sasaki Kojiro

It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend.

Wiiliam Blake

• Because enemies mean nothing to us, the friends matter a lot to us.
• Enemy won't betray you but the friends will. Hence the heart-break. Thus the difficulties to forgive.
• You can forgive an enemy who hurt you; either you would hurt him back or had hurt them in the first place.
• It's so much easier to run.

Preserverance ---> to the top

I found that the men and women who got to the top were those who did the jobs they had in hand, with everything they had of energy and enthusiasm and hard work.

• Harry S Truman

Tag-alogika daripada Atie :)

Sekarang procrastinate sekejap, because my next procrastination would be months later^^ Atie, I choose to answer partial tags yer, hehe. 9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? I'd love to do it now, if the bungee jump site is somewhere near me. 10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE CEREAL? Muesli 11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? No 13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE ICE CREAM? vanilla and chocolate (same as Atie) 9.Makna nama saya : gadis yang dilahirkan pada musim Autumn (Chiew- Autumn; Ping- one of many general words used by chinese parents to refer to the child as a girl, literally/orininally means some kind of plant grown on the river) 12.Saya akan cuba : menamatkan pengajian pada Dec 2011

Optimism is a happiness magnet. If you stay positive, good things and good people will be drawn to you.

-Mary Lou Retton

Optimism is orange in colour :)

Who is shaking?

We turn to God for help when our foundations are shaking, only to learn that it is God who is shaking them.

Charles C. West