Quote of the Day (32)

19 Feb 2012 - Love this quote / picture which was posted on Facebook. Sorry - I don't know who the photographer is, or where the picture was taken.It could be Haiti, but that's French speaking. It must be West Africa (Liberia?) or Kenya? Zimbabwe? RSA?

Quote of the Day (32)

9 April 2011 - I read this quote from Herman Hesse's Siddartha on Facebook and I really like it: "When someone is seeking...it happens quite easily that he only sees the thing that he is seeking; that he is unable to find anything, unable to absorb anything...because he is obsessed with his goal. Seeking means: to have a goal; but finding means: to be free, to be receptive, to have no goal." Chapter 12, pg. 113

Famous First Lines

24 March 2011 - Maybe this falls under the "Quote of the Day" category, but let's look at some famous opening lines:

• Telegram message, 1844: "What hath God wrought"
• Telephone, 1876: "Mr Watson, come here. I want to see you."
• Wireless communication over open sea, 1897: "Are you ready?"
• BBC Radio 1, 1967: "And, good morning everyone. Welcome to the exciting new sound of Radio 1".
• Moon landings, 1969: "That's one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind."
• E-mail, 1971: Qwertyuiop [probable]
• Text message, 1992: "Merry Christmas"
• Google, Jan 1996: no record of first search term, it says
• Facebook, Feb 2004: no record of first post
• YouTube, 2005: Video called "Me at the zoo", with first words: ""Alright, so here we are in front of the elephants"
• Twitter, 2006: "just setting up my twttr"

Quote of the Day (29)

2 March 2011 - So, Oscar season is over, but let's not forget thsi quote before we turn the page:
David Seidler, 73, accepting best original screenplay for The King's Speech:

"My father always said to me I would be a late bloomer. I believe I'm the oldest person to win this award. I hope that record is broken quickly and often."

Quote of The Day (26)

19 Dec 2010 - This week saw the last talk show by veteran CNN personality Larry King. The 77-year-old presented his cheesy chat show for 25 years and is now finally retiring. He will be replaced by creepy British journalist Pierce Morgan. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger came on the show to announce that he had proclaimed the day Larry King day in the western US state. Former US President Bill Clinton also came on air. When King mentioned that ' we are both in the zipper club ' - and explained later that he meant they had both had heart surgery - Clinton replied " I am glad you have clarified that ' keeping a straight face as other guest chuclked. King's last gaffe must be the quote of the day. And yes, he will be missed (as CNN soon will find out).

Quote of the Day (27)

5 Dec 2010 - Private health care providers in Malaysia are urged to be transparent and reasonable about their charges. Patients have the right to be informed, in advance, about the pricing of care and treatment, as this may avoid misunderstanding and misconceptions. The Director-General of Health Tan Sri Dr. Md. Ismail tolf doctors at private hospitals that health care should not be equated with business. He said "Looking at profits solely, the way other business do, may not be ethically or morally justifiable. Profits made must be reasonable, and not excessive." The comments came about reports in the media over unreasonable charges by private hospitals.

Quote of the Day (27)

21 Nov 2010 - Burmese Democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi reached out to the country's splintered opposition, calling on thousands of exuberant supporters to unite following her release from house arrest. She later told a news conference that she was in favor of dialogue and national reconciliation. "Ihad better go onliving until I see a democratic Burma.", Ms. Kyi said.

Be Your Own NGO

14 Nov 2010 - Former US President Bill Clinton urged students and guests attending his talk at the Inti International University to become their own non-governmental organization by contributing their time and skills to the world's future. "each one of us needs to become our own NGO, by contributing towards the growth and well-being of our community and country, and the world as a whole by doing our part as responsible citizens. You don't have to be a billionaire like Bill Gates or a former President like me, in order to make a difference in the world. You have the power to do whatever, regardless what the circumstances are, : he said in his address to students., business and government officials at Inti International University. He also said that the 21st century hasthree main challenges to overcome: inequality, unsustainability and instability. 

Quote of the Day (23)

24 Oct 2010 - Some people tend to joke that Singapore is boring, but I disagree. The place has changed a lot over the last years and has now a rather groovy soul. But Singapore still suffers from the stigma of being a place where chewing gum is banned, and vandalizers are caned. What do Singaporeans think of the stigma themselves? Alfian Sa'at says: "I think it's been one big tedious and frustrating striptease when it comes to liberalization policies in Singapore. They'll flash a bit of thigh, but then cover up some other spot. So you are hopeful and tantalized for a moment - yay, there's a multi-tier film rating system - and then it stops short of expactations. Ditto with coming up with Speakers' corner and than telling you that a "cause-related gathering" of ONE person outside its parameters can result in a police officer telling yo to move on". Arrrr, maybe Singapore has still some way to go?

Quote of the Day (23)

14 Oct 2010 - Today the world celebrates the miracle rescue of 33 trapped miners in Chile. The miners emerged like clockwork in their Phoenix 2 rescue capsule, happily embracing wives, children, mothers and the Chilean President Pinera. The men were trapped for 69 days in a chambers 625 meters underground. It was touching to see the happy faces of the miners, and it was sometimes amazing how fit and healthy they looked after their ordeal. Rescued miner Mario Sepulveda said "I have been with God and I have been with the devil. I fought between the two. I seized the hand of God, it was the best hand. I always knew God would get us out of there.". Tribute also goes to the Chilean and international rescue team, who did an amazing job.

Quote of the Day (22)

25 Sep 2010 - There is quite a powerful article by columnist Chip Tsao in HK Magazine. His weekly column is called "Politically Incorrect", which is a good title for his sometimes controversial views on the world called 'Hong Kong'  Like this one: "Hong Kong is, following other examples such as Zimbabwe, Ghana and Nigeria, becoming regrettable anthropological testimony  to the grim social reality that after Robinson Crusoe departs, Friday is not sophisticated enough to cope." I share his concerns for the future of Hong Kong.

Quote of the Day (21)

14 Sep 2010 - I have a long quote this time. The quote comes from the book "The New Asian Hemisphere" written by Kishore Mahbubani. The book is a must-read for all Westerners in Asia, and for all other Westerners who want to know about the changing world. I like this quote about China: "The acceptance of poverty is much easier if it is seen as a result of destiny. Gradually, this belief in inevitability of destiny is being corroded by the growing application of Adam's Smith principles and the sense of empowerment they create. When many Westerners look at China, they cannot see beyond the lack of democratic political system. They miss the massive democratization of the human spirit that is taking place in China. ... The real value of the free-market economics is not just in the improvements in economic productivity. It is about how it uplifts the human spirit  and liberate the minds of hundreds of millions of people who now feel they can finally take charge of their destinies. This is why Asia is marching forward." 

Quote of the Day (20)

29 Aug 2010 - I came across this interesting line: "Tough times don't last, but tough people do." It is a good quote and it is probably true, but it made me think if one always needs to be tough to get through the tough times. Probably not - it seems helpful to sometimes loosen up a bit.

Quote of The Day (19)

21 Aug. 2010 - Although I do not want to raise too many political issues on this blog, there are certain issues that get under my skin and I cannot ignore. Recently I have been following the discussion if a mosque can be opened close to Ground Zero in the US. It is a sensitive issue, and it goes straight to the heart of the so-called "American values". Never mind my opinion on this issue, but I like to quote from a letter written by George Washington; "May the children of the stock of Abraham, who dwell in this land, continue to merit and enjoy the good will of the other inhabitants, while every one shall sit in safety under his own vine and fig tree and there shall be none to make him afraid."

Quote of the Day (18)

1 Aug 2010 - A friend of mine posted this on his Facebook page. I like the quote: "You see things as they are and ask: why? I dream things that never were and ask: why not?".

Quote of the Day (17)

26 July 2010 - "Honi soit qui mal y pense" is what my father used to say, but I did not really understand the full meaning of that mysterious line. Only now I learned that this is French phrase attributed to King Edward III of England more than six centuries ago that more or less translates as "shame will be to whom who thinks evil of it". After King Edward III said it, the phrase became the motto of the English chivalric Order of the Garter. The motto also hung in Hong Kong's Legislative Council chamber until the handover in 1997.

Quote of the Day (22)

8 July 2010 - With apologies to all non-Dutch speakers, I like to use this quote from the South African media as my next Quote of the Day. The South African language is very similar to Dutch, but has evolved in a different direction in the last decades (more than a century). Still, with a bit of imagination it is possible to de-cypher this quote about the third goal made by Arjan Robben in the match against Argentina: "Toen Robben Nederland se derde doel behaal het, het die skare begin uitrafel. Groep agter die doelhok het in rij die trappies gedans."

Quote of the Day (21)

27 June 2010 - In an interview with a local teen he talked about his love for exotic pets: "I would prefer to have a dog or a cat, but I live in a public housing estate and it's really hard to keep those kinds of animals as the neighbors make a big fuss. So I went for something different. Now I have lizards, turtles, rats, spiders, scorpions - you name it! I have five huge snakes too, which I keep in a big tank in the living room. I don't name my animals because they dont respond to me anyway. It's like they live in a completely different universe. The good things about these animals is that I don't need to spend a lot of time looking after them. I just need around one hour after I get home every night. I usually get their food once a week in Mong Kok's fish market, which cost me around HKD 300 - 400 a month. By now I can identify different species and what they eat - I just bought some white mice to feed my snakes. And cockroaches? I have tons of them because they are considered a good dinner for most of my pets."

Quote of the Day (20)

22 June 2010 - One of my favorite bloggers is the Big White Guy in Hong Kong (www.bigwhiteguy.com); I could even call him an inspiration. This recent blog is funny and deals with another reality of living in the City of Buzz: "Cockroaches may be able to survive nuclear war, but they don't do so well in the washing machine. After picking out bits of roach from the tub and prying the head of a towel, I had to wash the load all over again.".

Quote of the Day (19)

18 June 2010 - Shanghai Tang Founder Sir David Tang may not be everybody's favorite person, but he has some good things to say. For example when he said "People often underestimate what I call a decent sense of humor. Seeing the funny side of things means that you are optimistic and philosophical about what's happening to you. You see a bit more than those who simply sulk and look at the dark side of things."