people often said solo traveling was the best thing s/he ever done because it changed her/his life.
I am very glad that I travelled through Asia by myself but I don't think my solo trip change my life. However, it did taught me to be more grateful (and the world is really not that bad of a place, people are generally good).
It might not mean much to the nice man that made phone calls on my behalf or the countless kind strangers that gave me directions when I was lost, but it mean the world to me as it could mean ending up in the hotel by night fall or in some shady alley. Being alone by myself, the kindness of strangers no longer seem as ordinary as in daily life. Through out the trip, I felt very blessed for receiving so much from others, I was touched and wanted to give back (I think perhaps this why some rich people are also some of the most generous people). Thus, sometime I did so by gave up my seat or helped other lost tourists.
Now I am home, with all the chores/works that need to get done, it's easy to overlook my blessings. Perhaps the effect from my solo travel has not wear off (and I hope it never will), I often feel grateful when I am reminiscent the events happen during the day.
Today, I am very grateful for my brother. He is the nicest guy and he also take care of all my computer and car troubles. Because of my brother's expansive knowledge on cars, I didn't have to do anything and the headlight for my car is fixed. I am also very grateful for my Taiwan relatives. When I visited, they never met me but welcomed me into their home. Then a month later, they spent their own time, money and effort to pick up and mail my glamour photos to me (you can see most of them on my photo sites now). I did not give them anything nor had anything to give them, and yet they were so kind to me. I am very touched and grateful for having nice relatives.
Yesterday, I felt very grateful for having girl friends that are fun, intelligent and open-minded. I can talk to them about any sort of topics (mind it be something serious like career and money; or something fun like men and sex, or something close to the heart like family and love). Because of them, I had a very wonderful Sunday.
Saturday, I felt very grateful for not having to work so I could lounge around in my PJ the whole day.
I should just start writing daily gratitude entry instead of back-tracking.
Monday, February 26, 2007
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Lazy Weekends
Though I love meeting new people and socializing, I am an introvert by nature. Thus, I usually need a day or two to recuperate after a busy social period.
One months on the road took a lot more out of me than I'd imagined. I been back for three weeks now and yet I still feel not totally recover. I did not go out at all last weekend. Therefore, I felt like I should go out this weekend but I rather be at home, in my PJs (like how I am now, at almost 2pm on a beautiful Saturday afternoon).
One months on the road took a lot more out of me than I'd imagined. I been back for three weeks now and yet I still feel not totally recover. I did not go out at all last weekend. Therefore, I felt like I should go out this weekend but I rather be at home, in my PJs (like how I am now, at almost 2pm on a beautiful Saturday afternoon).
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Stumbling on Happiness
I haven't step out of my home since Friday night because I have been immersing myself reading "Stumbling on Happiness" by Daniel Gilert.
In "Stumbling on Happiness," Daniel Gilert use scientific data to explain how due to limitation of our brain (and necessity of our survival), we don't really know what make ourselves happy. Even though this is a science book, I enjoy reading it (and it does not tell me how I can find happiness). The review on the book cover sum up the book beautifully:
"Think you know what makes you happy? This absolutely fantastic book will shatter your most deeply held convictions about how the mind works." - Steven D. Levitt, author of Freakonomics"
Beside the conventional wisdom of money doesn't buy happiness, here are some interest points that I remember (with my own interpretation) from "Stumbling on Happiness":
-Variety is the spice of life, but unnecessary (and variety actually have diminishing return) if the pleasure things/events are spread out by time.
*Example: I love foie gras and as long as there are sufficient time between each sampling (say every week), I will get more total pleasure from eating it every time I go to nice restaurant that have it rather ordering different appetizer each time. However, if I am to go to that nice restaurant everyday, then I will get more total pleasure by ordering different appetizer.
-People value things more (happier) when they are stuck with it.
*Example: In a photography class, students can pick one of their two photos to keep. First group cannot change their mind while second group can switch picture a few days later if they choose. At the end of the experiment, students in first group are much happier with their choice than students in second group. This point is discuss in great details by Barry Schwartz in "The Paradox of Choice, Why Less is More."
-People are often hurt more by small losses than by a large ones.
*Explanation from the book: If a foreign country fire tons of missile at US, it would detonate the US defense missile system to shoot all of them down. Our brain is like US defense system. If we suffer a major loss, then our mind would trick ourselves into making the loss not as painful as we imagine it would be. Thus a small losses, unexpectedly like a terrorist attack that bypass the defense system, we suffer intense emotional pain.
-People often imagine the pain of losing something is greater than the pleasure of getting it.
-The ending affect a person's overall satisfaction.
*Example: The author love 98% of "The Schindler's List" but hate the movie because he does not like the ending. And many years later, he only remember that he hate the movie but not remember his feeling for the beginning of the movie. Another example: If a relatively good relationship have a horrible breakup, then the ex-couple will mostly remember the bad things in that relationship.
-We have blind spot in our sight, so our brain fill it in with imagination. The brain does the filling-in so flawlessly that we never realize it and we trust it faithfully as the reality.
-It is easier for our brain to notice what is present vs. what is absent. But what is absent is often as important (if not more so) than what is present.
-Same is true with our memory. Memory are not record in the brain like computer data, instead brain stores experience fragments. When we try to remember certain event, the brain retrieves the fragment and fill in the rest with imagination.
-We imagine our future using our present perception (aka present feeling and knowledge), thus we cannot accurately predict the future (i.e. how we will feel tomorrow when we enjoy a bag of chip). We can better predict our feelings using surrogate.
*Example: reading restaurant review can better predict how we would like the food than us looking at the restaurant menu.
-Certain genes and ideas are transmit from generation to generation because they are easy to transmit and/or necessary for survival.
*Example: Research find raising children is as pleasurable as doing house chores. However, people only remember the joy of raising children because it is necessary for continuation of human race.
-People tend to repeat the same mistake because they imagine what will make them happy.
*Example: You love every bite of the turkey dinner at your aunt's but have a lousy time because your aunt & uncle are super noisy, and you vow to never return. However, you return the next year because you imagine how happy you will be when you have a piece of juicy turkey in your mouth.
-Most of us are average but all of us think we are unique (smarter than average, sexier than average, richer than average, etc), there is no one out there like us.
-Explanation robs events of their emotional impact. Unexplained events can amplify and extend their emotional events.
With that, I'll end this entry so you can find out rest of the intriguing facts about the brain by reading this book.
In "Stumbling on Happiness," Daniel Gilert use scientific data to explain how due to limitation of our brain (and necessity of our survival), we don't really know what make ourselves happy. Even though this is a science book, I enjoy reading it (and it does not tell me how I can find happiness). The review on the book cover sum up the book beautifully:
"Think you know what makes you happy? This absolutely fantastic book will shatter your most deeply held convictions about how the mind works." - Steven D. Levitt, author of Freakonomics"
Beside the conventional wisdom of money doesn't buy happiness, here are some interest points that I remember (with my own interpretation) from "Stumbling on Happiness":
-Variety is the spice of life, but unnecessary (and variety actually have diminishing return) if the pleasure things/events are spread out by time.
*Example: I love foie gras and as long as there are sufficient time between each sampling (say every week), I will get more total pleasure from eating it every time I go to nice restaurant that have it rather ordering different appetizer each time. However, if I am to go to that nice restaurant everyday, then I will get more total pleasure by ordering different appetizer.
-People value things more (happier) when they are stuck with it.
*Example: In a photography class, students can pick one of their two photos to keep. First group cannot change their mind while second group can switch picture a few days later if they choose. At the end of the experiment, students in first group are much happier with their choice than students in second group. This point is discuss in great details by Barry Schwartz in "The Paradox of Choice, Why Less is More."
-People are often hurt more by small losses than by a large ones.
*Explanation from the book: If a foreign country fire tons of missile at US, it would detonate the US defense missile system to shoot all of them down. Our brain is like US defense system. If we suffer a major loss, then our mind would trick ourselves into making the loss not as painful as we imagine it would be. Thus a small losses, unexpectedly like a terrorist attack that bypass the defense system, we suffer intense emotional pain.
-People often imagine the pain of losing something is greater than the pleasure of getting it.
-The ending affect a person's overall satisfaction.
*Example: The author love 98% of "The Schindler's List" but hate the movie because he does not like the ending. And many years later, he only remember that he hate the movie but not remember his feeling for the beginning of the movie. Another example: If a relatively good relationship have a horrible breakup, then the ex-couple will mostly remember the bad things in that relationship.
-We have blind spot in our sight, so our brain fill it in with imagination. The brain does the filling-in so flawlessly that we never realize it and we trust it faithfully as the reality.
-It is easier for our brain to notice what is present vs. what is absent. But what is absent is often as important (if not more so) than what is present.
-Same is true with our memory. Memory are not record in the brain like computer data, instead brain stores experience fragments. When we try to remember certain event, the brain retrieves the fragment and fill in the rest with imagination.
-We imagine our future using our present perception (aka present feeling and knowledge), thus we cannot accurately predict the future (i.e. how we will feel tomorrow when we enjoy a bag of chip). We can better predict our feelings using surrogate.
*Example: reading restaurant review can better predict how we would like the food than us looking at the restaurant menu.
-Certain genes and ideas are transmit from generation to generation because they are easy to transmit and/or necessary for survival.
*Example: Research find raising children is as pleasurable as doing house chores. However, people only remember the joy of raising children because it is necessary for continuation of human race.
-People tend to repeat the same mistake because they imagine what will make them happy.
*Example: You love every bite of the turkey dinner at your aunt's but have a lousy time because your aunt & uncle are super noisy, and you vow to never return. However, you return the next year because you imagine how happy you will be when you have a piece of juicy turkey in your mouth.
-Most of us are average but all of us think we are unique (smarter than average, sexier than average, richer than average, etc), there is no one out there like us.
-Explanation robs events of their emotional impact. Unexplained events can amplify and extend their emotional events.
With that, I'll end this entry so you can find out rest of the intriguing facts about the brain by reading this book.
新年快樂! (Happy New Year!)
Today mark the first day of the Pig year.
Here's a detail write up about Chinese New Year if you are not familiar with this holiday.
And if you want to know more about me, here's a write up about where I am from.
Here's a detail write up about Chinese New Year if you are not familiar with this holiday.
And if you want to know more about me, here's a write up about where I am from.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Travel Reviews
The lazy bug bit me, so it is really hard to push myself to write.
I know myself well enough to predict this will likely to happen. Aren't you glad now that I have pushed myself to upload all the pictures before the lazy bug bite me?
I borrowed 3 books on tape (1 is an essays collection, 2 on human psychology) and 4 books (biography and social science) from library yesterday, so I would be busy being a bookworm the next few weeks. Thus, I wouldn't promise anything about writing the travel review. In the mean time, you can read the entries I wrote while I was in Asia.
I know myself well enough to predict this will likely to happen. Aren't you glad now that I have pushed myself to upload all the pictures before the lazy bug bite me?
I borrowed 3 books on tape (1 is an essays collection, 2 on human psychology) and 4 books (biography and social science) from library yesterday, so I would be busy being a bookworm the next few weeks. Thus, I wouldn't promise anything about writing the travel review. In the mean time, you can read the entries I wrote while I was in Asia.
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Sunday, February 04, 2007
Asia Trip Pictures
Over the weekend, I uploaded all the pictures from my one month vacation in Asia.
The pictures are in my flickr.
I wanted to write a summary for each city I visited and I did that for several cities already. In the next few weeks, I would write about Melaka, Singapore, Chiang Mai, Taipei, Ko Phi Phi, and Ko Pha Ngan.
The pictures are in my flickr.
I wanted to write a summary for each city I visited and I did that for several cities already. In the next few weeks, I would write about Melaka, Singapore, Chiang Mai, Taipei, Ko Phi Phi, and Ko Pha Ngan.
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Funny :)
While web surfing (waiting for my photos to finish uploading), I found something that makes me laugh on this site.
--------------------------------
Sneak peak into Qantas Gripe Sheets
After every flight, Qantas pilots fill out a form, called a "gripe sheet," which tells mechanics about problems with the aircraft.
The mechanics correct the problems, document their repairs on the form, and then pilots review the gripe sheets before the next flight.
Never let it be said that ground crews lack a sense of humor. Here are some actual maintenance complaints submitted by Qantas' pilots (marked with a P) and the solutions recorded (marked with an S) by maintenance engineers.
Note: By the way, Qantas is the only major airline that has never, ever, had an accident.
P: Left inside main tire almost needs replacement.
S: Almost replaced left inside main tire.
P: Test flight OK, except auto-land very rough.
S: Auto-land not installed on this aircraft.
P: Something loose in cockpit.
S: Something tightened in cockpit.
P: Dead bugs on windshield.
S: Live bugs on back-order.
P: Autopilot in altitude-hold mode produces a 200 feet per minute descent.
S: Cannot reproduce problem on ground.
P: Evidence of leak on right main landing gear.
S: Evidence removed.
P: DME volume unbelievably loud.
S: DME volume set to more believable level.
P: Friction locks cause throttle levers to stick.
S: That's what friction locks are for.
P: IFF inoperative in OFF mode.
S: IFF always inoperative in OFF mode.
P: Suspected crack in windshield.
S: Suspect you're right.
P: Number 3 engine missing.
S: Engine found on right wing after brief search.
P: Aircraft handles funny.
S: Aircraft warned to straighten up, fly right, and be serious.
P: Target radar hums.
S: Reprogrammed target radar with lyrics.
P: Mouse in cockpit.
S: Cat installed.
P: Noise coming from under instrument panel. Sounds like a midget pounding on something with a hammer.
S: Took hammer away from midget
--------------------------------
Sneak peak into Qantas Gripe Sheets
After every flight, Qantas pilots fill out a form, called a "gripe sheet," which tells mechanics about problems with the aircraft.
The mechanics correct the problems, document their repairs on the form, and then pilots review the gripe sheets before the next flight.
Never let it be said that ground crews lack a sense of humor. Here are some actual maintenance complaints submitted by Qantas' pilots (marked with a P) and the solutions recorded (marked with an S) by maintenance engineers.
Note: By the way, Qantas is the only major airline that has never, ever, had an accident.
P: Left inside main tire almost needs replacement.
S: Almost replaced left inside main tire.
P: Test flight OK, except auto-land very rough.
S: Auto-land not installed on this aircraft.
P: Something loose in cockpit.
S: Something tightened in cockpit.
P: Dead bugs on windshield.
S: Live bugs on back-order.
P: Autopilot in altitude-hold mode produces a 200 feet per minute descent.
S: Cannot reproduce problem on ground.
P: Evidence of leak on right main landing gear.
S: Evidence removed.
P: DME volume unbelievably loud.
S: DME volume set to more believable level.
P: Friction locks cause throttle levers to stick.
S: That's what friction locks are for.
P: IFF inoperative in OFF mode.
S: IFF always inoperative in OFF mode.
P: Suspected crack in windshield.
S: Suspect you're right.
P: Number 3 engine missing.
S: Engine found on right wing after brief search.
P: Aircraft handles funny.
S: Aircraft warned to straighten up, fly right, and be serious.
P: Target radar hums.
S: Reprogrammed target radar with lyrics.
P: Mouse in cockpit.
S: Cat installed.
P: Noise coming from under instrument panel. Sounds like a midget pounding on something with a hammer.
S: Took hammer away from midget
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