Open Mind

R.M Sherfield once said, "the greatest reward of an education is to be able to face the world with an open mind." Similarly, Malcolm Forbes declared that "education's purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one."

Photo: Sunset, Penang (Mar 06)

"Your mind is like a parachute. It works best when it is open." - Anthony J. D΄Angelo
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Here are some humorous reasons why we should keep an open mind, especially if it concerns preditions about the future:

"640K ought to be enough for anybody." - Bill Gates (1981)

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"Everything that can be invented has been invented." - Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, US Office of Patents (1899)

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"Drill for oil? You mean drill into the ground to try and find oil? You're crazy." - Drillers who Edwin L.

Drake tried to enlist to his project to drill for oil in 1859.

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"The concept is interesting and well-formed, but in order to earn better than a 'C,' the idea must be feasible." - A Yale University management professor in response to Fred Smith's paper proposing reliable overnight delivery service. Smith went on to found Federal Express.

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"This 'telephone' has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us." - Western Union internal memo (1876).

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"Well informed people know it is impossible to transmit the voice over wires and that were it possible to do so, the thing would be of no practical value." - Editorial in the Boston Post (1865)

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"There is not the slightest indication that [nuclear energy] will ever be obtainable. It would mean that the atom would have to be shattered at will." - Albert Einstein (1932)

True Greatness

A young student once asked his old teacher,

" Teacher, what is the true measure of greatness?"

The teacher looked far away into the mountains and gave the following reply:

. photo: Spring Creek, PA (2008)

Some measure greatness in height and weight, but a great man is never so tall as when he stoops to talk to a child or bends his knee to help a hurting friend.

Some measure greatness in physical strength, but a great man is never so strong as when he shoulders the burden of the downtrodden stranger.

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Some measure greatness in terms of financial gain, but a man who shows generosity to his family and friends, he is the one who is truly rich.

photo: gabbage collectors, State College (2008)

Some measure greatness in applause and accolades, but a man who seeks opportunity to serve in the quiet places of the world, his is the higher reward. Some measure greatness in commitment to achieving in material ways, but a man who spurs others on to reach their goals is great indeed.

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A great man has vision and does not keep the truth to himself.

A great man has passion for life and is not ashamed to show it.

A great man expects the best from others and gives the best of himself. A great man knows how to work and how to play, how to laugh and how to cry, how to give and how to receive, how to love and how to be loved.

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There are many men who are by the world standard called "great", but a man who bears honor in his heart, who can, in the evening hours, lie upon his bed and peacefully close his eyes, knowing that he has done all that is within his power to live his life fully and fruitfully, that is truly a great man.

Randall S. Weeks

Kangkong Goreng Blacan

Water-spinach or kangkong, as it is known in Southeast Asia, is a leaf vegetable native to the tropics. Related to the sweet potato and to morning glory, its mild flavor is similar to the spinach as eaten in the West. As with most other leaf vegetables, water spinach shrinks when cooked and a large bunch of fresh leaves will lose 2/3 of its bulk.

Before cooking, water spinach must be carefully washed and cleaned and the tough tips of the stalks trimmed away. The leaves are separated from the thick stalks, since they do not take the same amount of time to cook. Water spinach may be blanched and added to salads and soups. It is particularly popular when stir-fried with a strongly-flavored paste of dried chili peppers and dried shrimp.

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Kangkong Goreng Blacan (stir-fried water spinach with shrimp paste)

Ingredients: Water spinach (600 g), leaves removed from thick stalks, stalks sliced into 2 ½ in (6 cm) pieces, 2 tbs dried shrimp (soaked and drained), salt to taste, 4 tbs oil.

Spice paste: 8 dried chili peppers (soaked, seeds discarded), 8 shallots (peeled and chopped), 2 garlic cloves (peeled and quartered), 1 piece of blacan (shrimp paste), 1x1x½ in.

Mash chili peppers, shallots, garlic cloves, and shrimp past in a mortar. Heat oil in wok, add spicy paste with salt and fry until the flavors are released. Fry dried shrimp in it for 1 minute. Add vegetable stalks and stir-fry for another 1 minute, then add the leaves. Continue stirring until the vegetable is covered by spices and is just cooked.

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Source: Culinaria Koneman (1998) "Southeast Asian Specialties"

RE2008 Commencement

I recently attended my students' commencement ceremony at NUS. It is truly a time of celebration for the graduants. After more than 20 years of formal education, it is finally over!

My best wishes to RE Class 2008!

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During the commencement ceremony, the honorary speaker shared an insight into the working habit of one of the most successful property developers in Singapore. He mentioned that NTF's secret of success is 5 to 9: Unlike the average workers who worked from 9 am to 5 pm, the developer's daily work routine starts from 5 am and ends at 9 pm!

Recently, I came across this time-tested formula of success, which the fresh graduates would do well to remember & practice as they start a new phase of their life:

A person will go far in life if he/she consistently does three things: (1) keeps a positive attitude, (2) treats other people with respect and kindness, and (3) works to the best of his/her ability. The percentage of people who maintain these high standards on a regular basis is small. But those who do all have something in common; they succeed in life. It's a great formula for success.

photo: To celebrate his graduation, Jingliang & Jade treated my wife and me to a nice dinner at the Crystal Jade restaurant in VivoCity.

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I also received several e-mails from the graduating cohort; one of which would brigthen up any teacher's day:

I am not too sure if you remember me. I just graduated from RE and was your student in RE Development 1 in 2006. I emailed you my reflections after the group project. Just wanna say that module made a real impact on the way I view life and deal with people around me. I have started work at ... and have made many new acquaintances. The exposure to working life that you gave us during RE Dev 1 is of great help as I was better able to foresee the style of work here and anticipate different kinds of treatment by people. Although the module was not entirely related to my current job scope, the experience I gained in school gives me greater resilience. I am glad I was your student, for your module gave me knowledge and strength. My greatest, most heartfelt thanks to you for your sharings and exposure to working life. Here's wishing you continued success and blessing by God for being the selfless person you are. Thank you once again.

Money Matters

None can deny that money plays an important role in our lives. To the surprise of many, the Bible actually has a great deal to say about money - there are many verses on earning and spending, saving and giving, investing and even wasting our money.

photo: a thrift shop in State College, USA

To those who are not rich, those who want to get rich, and those who are rich - a simple but profound secret for happiness is CONTENTMENT. It is reflected through an attitude of satisfaction, ie. enough is enough, which is opposite from the title of a popular local movie, Money Not Enough. A Greek sage once put it: “to whom little is not enough, nothing is enough.”
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But how do we learn contentment? First, having a current perspective on eternity helps us to quit striving for more… we entered life empty-handed, we leave in the same way. Second, it helps if we boil life down to its essentials: something to eat, something to wear, and a roof over our heads. Everything beyond that we’d do well to consider as extra.

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“The society’s plan of attack is to create dissatisfaction, to convince us that we must be in a constant pursuit for something “out there” that is sure to bring us happiness. When you reduce that lie to its lowest level, it is saying that contentment is impossible without striving for more… Perhaps the most devastating … part of advertising is that it attempts to persuade us that material possessions will bring joy and fulfillment - that happiness is to be attained through limitless material acquisition… Advertisers promise that their products will satisfy our deepest needs and inner longing for love, acceptance, security and sexual intimacy… Advertising has a powerful effect on all of us.” - Charles Swindoll

photo: boalsburg, PA
For those who are rich, the Bible warns: “Instruct them not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous & ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasures of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed" (1 Timothy 6: 17-19).

If you break down the above statements, you will find two negative instructions and one positive instruction.

Don’t be conceited. Proud, snobbish arrogance, and the high-and-mighty importance, have no placed in the life of wealthy Christians. Remember that everything you have come from your heavenly Father.

• Don’t trust in your wealth for your security. In the final analysis, there are many things that no amount of money can buy. Consider this:

Money can buy medicine, but not health.
Money can buy a house, but not a home.
Money can buy companionship, but not friends.
Money can buy entertainment, but not happiness.
Money can buy food, but not an appetite.
Money can buy a bed, but not sleep.
Money can buy a crucifix, but not a Savior.
Money can buy a good life, but not eternal life.

• Become a generous person. Give, give, give, give, give, and give more … Let generosity become your trademark. Be generous with your time, your efforts, your energy, your encouragement, and yes, your money.

Reflection: money has never yet made anyone rich.

Source: Charles Swindoll (1982) “Strengthening Your Grip on Money”.

A New Day!

THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF A NEW DAY!

photo: sunrise at Chesapeake Bay, US

God has given me this day to use as I will. I can waste it or use it for good, but what I do today is important, because I am exchanging a day of my life for it!

When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever, leaving in its place something that I have traded for it.

I want it to be gain, and not loss; good and not evil; success and not failure; in oder that I shall not regret the price that i have paid for it.

Don't Quit

We are never promised an easy life - in fact, life can be rather challenging. How many times have we faced trials of many kinds? Should we quit or persevere?

I am sure most of us are familiar with the saying, "when the going gets tough, the tough gets going". I still remember the first time I heard this; was it the theme song for the movie Romancing the Stone? Back then, it made a big impact on me Faced with a tough challenge, I would grit my teeth and remind myself not to give up, but to endure - because the tough gets going! (the popular action heroes in those days were Rambo, Rocky, Indiana Jones, ...). Now, I am not sure if I agree completely with the quote - because it somehow implies that only the tough, the macho ones, like Rambo, will persevere. All the rest of us, who are not as tough, has an excuse to quit. Do we?
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Why we don't give up? I have given some thoughts to this question and came to the conclusion that the primary reason most people continue on in life (despite the many trials and obstacles we face) is that they, consciously or unconsciously, believe there is a prize waiting for them at the finishing line. In short, we are motivated by the promise of a trophy (whatever that may mean to us individually), at the end of the race. And those who quit are usually those who have lost sight of the promise along the way.

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reflection: what motivates you? what trophy awaits you at the finishing line?

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Recently, I came across a poem on endurance (author unknown). Immediately, I thought it would compliment a photo a former student, CHZ, took in Mongolia.

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When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,

When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,

When the funds are low, and the debts are high,

And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,

When care is pressing you down a bit,

Rest if you must, but don't quit.

Mongolia: photo by CHZ (Sep 07)

Life is queer with its twists and turns,

As everyone of us sometimes learns,

And many a failure turns about,

When he might have won had he stuck it out;

Don't give up though the pace seems slow,

You may succeed with another blow.

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Success is failure turned inside out,

The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,

And you never can tell how close you are,

It may be near when it seems so far,

So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit,

It's when things seem worse - that you must not quit. ....

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Spiritual: Severe trials will sift true Christians from fair-weather believers. So, if God has called you to a task, determine to complete it, even if you face opposition or discouragement. The rewards of work well done will be worth the effort.

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking in anything... Blessed is the man who perservere under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised those who love him." - James 1: 2-4, 12

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reference: LAB

Abraham Lincoln, 16th USA President (1861-1865)

One of the most significant sites we visited during our recent visit to Washington DC was the Lincoln Memorial. It was built to commemorate Abraham Lincoln, which is regarded as one of the greatest presidents in the US history.

No one in this country has received more praise and many Americans would argue that he is the greatest American who ever lived. Leo Tolstoy, the brilliant Russian historian, said this of Lincoln,

"The greatness of Napolean, Caesar, or Washington is only moonlight by the sun of Lincoln. His example is universal and will last thousands of years.... He was bigger than his country - bigger than all the presidents together... and as a great character he will live as long as the world lives."

What made Lincoln so great? His assasination, indeed the first US President to be assissanated in office, made him a martyr. Lincoln is also credited for preserving the union of the American states. If not for Lincoln's determined and resolute leadership, the nation of America, as we know today, would have been divided into two countries - along the north-south divide based on the pro- and anti-slavery camps. Lincoln also signed the Emancipation Proclamation, which led to the eventual abolition of slavery in the US. As he signed the Proclamation, he told colleagues who witnessed the act:

“I never, in my life, felt more certain that I was doing right than I do in signing this paper. If my name ever goes into history, it will be for this act, and my whole soul is in it.”

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As a person, Lincoln is generally personifed with the classical values of honesty and integrity, as well as respect for individual and minority rights, and human freedom in general. Often depicted as a burdened man on whose shoulders weighed the concerns of the states, Lincoln is the only president whose entire tenure was bounded by the parameters of war. Because of the civil war, Lincoln’s constitutional duties as commander in chief superseded normal presidential activities. He devoted most of his efforts to shaping the union army aims, mobilizing armies, devising strategy, goading commanders, and holding together a fractious coalition of radical republicans, moderates, War Democrats, and border-state unionist who supported the war (souce: wikipedia). Even Lincoln himself once confessed, “I am the most miserable man living. If what I feel were equally distributed to the whole human family, there would not one cheerful face on earth.”

Asked what was Lincoln's greatest characteristic, a historian answered, "His ability to bring out the best in other people, especially among those with whom he worked in the White House." He went on to describe the personalities and enormous egos of the men in Lincoln's cabinet:

Several of them had contested Lincoln for the presidency, and each considered himself superior to the president in both intellect and ability. Because they had been political rivals and harsh critics, Lincoln could have shut them out after winning the presidency. That's what most politicians do. But he did just the opposite: he recognized their talents & knew they had something of value to offer, so he asked them to serve their country during a time of great crisis - the Civil War.

Lincoln was not only the greatest president but also the most humble. He didn't care who got the credit. He just wanted to serve his country. And in doing that, he served the diverse group of men in his cabinet. He pointed out their strengths, told them he and the country needed them, and thanked and praised them often. In short, he brought out the best in them. A 900-page book, Team of Rivals, the result of ten years research by Doris Kearns Goodwin, a Pulitzer Prize winning historian, captures the essence of Lincoln's humility, integrity, empathy, and servant leadership. She says that Lincoln's real genius was revealed:

"through his extraordinary array of personal qualities that enabled him to form friendships with men who had previously opposed him; to repair injured feelings that, left untended, might have escalated into permanent hostility; to assume responsibility for the failures of subordinates; to share credit with ease; and to learn from mistakes."

Source: Hal Urban, The 10 Commandments of Common Sense

Learning & Teaching

The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life - Proverbs 13:14.

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Have you heard of this saying, "expression deepens impression?". Well, I try to live by this principle - I find that sharing what I know somehow deepens my understanding and conviction on a particular topic. The process of articulating what is in my head somehow transformed the "head knowledge" into "heart knowledge". Try it - sharing does deepen your conviction!

photo: New Orleans (Jan 08)

In one way or another, we are all teachers. Almost every day of our lives we come into contact with people who can benefit from our knowledge and experience. According to Hal Urban, "we have a sacred obligation to help others learn new skills and to develop a greater understanding of how life works."

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At the same time, we are all learners. We regularly come into contact with people who know something we don't know, have a skill we don't have, and understand some aspect of life better than we do.

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Hence, we're all teachers, and we're all learners. And we bring out the best in one another when we share our knowledge and wisdom. There's a double-blessing here ... There are excitement and joy in learning something new or going deeper. And there are equal excitement and joy in passing them on to others.

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Despite returning to the busy life in Singapore, here are two reasons why I decided to maintain this blog: (1) the excitement of learning something new, and (2) the joy of passing it on. For me, this blog serves as a scrap book of truths, wise sayings, and ideas, which are primarily for my own consumption and which I seek to internalize by practicing them. And in the process of sharing, I hope others will be blessed too.

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reflection: First, I "learn" to "teach". Then, I "teach" to "learn".

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Source: Hal Urban (2007) The 10 Commandments of Common Sense

Food Haven

Home sweet home!

We arrived home on June 18, and what a busy two weeks it has been for my wife and me. Well, what else could we expect? This is, afterall, busy Singapore! In the last two weeks, we got contractors to paint the house, dry clean the curtains, service the air conditioners, and repair some water seepage problems. Some defects are still outstanding though. I have also started work on July 1 and spent the first few days repacking my office and clearing out a lot of "old" stuff. In between, we managed to find time to look around for a car, which will be ready for our collection coming Monday. Thus far, we have been relying on Singapore's very own BMW, i.e. Bus, Mrt (subway) and Walk.

Our immediate meal upon reaching home
- Fong Seng nasi lemak

When we were preparing to come home, we were often asked this question, "what food did you miss most during your one year in the States?" Then, my answer was "nothing really, as my wife can cook most of the dishes I like to eat". Since returning home, guess what? We have only used the kitchen to cook rice once, and that was two days ago. Part of the reason was we threw away our old wok and only managed to buy a new one a few days ago. It also gives us an excuse to sample and feast on the regular hawker fares. See slide show below:

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With such a great variety, eating is a national pastime in Singapore.

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Did you know? “Ni chi bao le ma?”, which is translated as “Have you eaten yet?” is a customary greeting amongst the Chinese (particularly the older generation). In Singapore, we don’t talk so much about the weather as much as we talk about food. This devotion to food may be a relic from the days of the early immigrants, when life was hard and no one could be sure when their next meal was coming from (source: culinaria)

Gadoh Gadoh

Gadoh-gadoh means “clash”, which presumably refers to the variety of different vegetables which go into the creation of this Indonesian salad dish. This is another simple dish, which can be prepared in advance. The key to this dish is of course the spicy peanut sauce. We find that Americans, in general, like the peanut sauce (but we need to reduce the spiciness of the sauce). In the recipe below, we share how simple it is to prepare the peanut or "satay" sauce, from the readily-available peanut butter.

You can serve the different vegetables separately in individual bowls. My wife and I prefer to lay them on a large platter (see photo above). In both cases, spoon a little of the peanut dressing over the salad and garnish with shrimp crackers.

The quantities indicated are enough for an entrée for four people or a side-dish for six people.

Ingredients:
5 oz (150 g) cabbage, sliced and blanched
7 oz (200 g) bean sprouts, roots trimmed, blanched and drained
5 oz (150 g) green beans, sliced into 2 in (5 cm) pieces and boiled until tender
3 pieces of firm tofu, fried until golden brown and sliced into 9 pieces
4 potatoes, boiled, peeled and thickly sliced
3 hard-boiled eggs, cut into slices or pieces
2 cucumbers, cut into pieces
6 - 8 shrimp crackers

Peanut sauce dressing : Fry shrimp paste (blachan), chilies and onions (crushed and blended) in hot oil until the flavors are released. Stir in ½ bottle of chunky peanut butter. Add evaporated milk (or coconut milk) to dilute. Add sugar and salt to taste.