To Universal Studio again! It was fun company with 3 other closed friends! :)
We went for the After Hour Entry, and paid $5 each to enter the studio at about 7pm. Taking the free shuttle there felt like we were all going on a Malaysia trip together. Really put us in a holiday mood! :) But luckily this time the ride was much shorter, only 10 minutes....
Dinner was italian food. They had a gigantic 20-inch pizza. As it was thin-crust, the pizza was surprisingly manageable. Price was very reasonable too, about $10-$15 for each person. And it comes with a soda and dessert.
Browsing the gifts shop later, one friend took it as a shopping trip to get birthday presents for a few friends. Indeed, she had a bountiful harvest, buying gifts for three people in a matter of minutes. Then of course, there was the Hollywood Spectacular that we were there for. It started at 9.30pm and the fireworks show was certainly entertaining and thrilling! A great night out and definitely well worth the entrance fee.
Think having the two integrated resorts have recently expanded the options of entertainment that we have! Looking forward to the circus and the other shows coming up! :)
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Tough Day
Today is really a tough day. Many things went wrong.
Sometimes maybe going by the book bring more troubles than me. Those people who do not care about procedures and do it, in the end will get approval. While for those who follow procedures by getting permission first is sidelined. Sigh... is really a distorted world. I have already gotten verbal approval from the administration office and yet... Others never even bother to get approval, they just go ahead...
If I can turn back the time, I will not go and ask for approval first. Is too late.
Sometimes maybe going by the book bring more troubles than me. Those people who do not care about procedures and do it, in the end will get approval. While for those who follow procedures by getting permission first is sidelined. Sigh... is really a distorted world. I have already gotten verbal approval from the administration office and yet... Others never even bother to get approval, they just go ahead...
If I can turn back the time, I will not go and ask for approval first. Is too late.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Elusive
Recently, a number of friends around me seemed to be quite troubled by love related issues. It must be a trying time mentally for them. I cannot do much except to give them my mental support.
Love is elusive and we cannot control others to love us or to like us in the way we want, maybe sometimes only when we let go can we find happiness. It takes a lot of courage to love and please remain courageous to find the happiness that you want. Things happen to strengthen & build us up to where we are intended to go.
I sincerely believe happiness will be yours regardless whether the someone appear! :) GO GO GO
Stones into School
One of my bookworm friends ask me to recommend me a book yesterday. She was exasperated when again I recommended "Stones into School" that is written by Greg Mortenson. I must have recommended this book at least three times to her but she has yet to read it.
Most people may have heard of "Three Cups of Tea", the book written earlier by the same author that took US by storm. It became a bestseller and brought instant publicity for the author's cause - Bringing education to the girls in Central Asia. It is a much better way to fight terrorism though through arms.
While many people thought the earlier book was better, personally, I like this book more. Stones into School I feel give the much deserved credit to the local people. Their bravery, courage and solitude in forging ahead for the future of the girls are indeed admirable. They are the heroes for believing in the cause and willingness to brave their own safety in order to bring the projects to fruition. I am also inspired by the foresight of the village heads & elders who sincerely believe that there is a place for a school that includes girls. There is so much hope around and the local go through great lengths of hardships to overcome physical and financial difficulties.
I am also very encourged that there are people like Greg who recognises and groom the talented local people. Often, aid agencies employ foreign expensive experts who have no real local knowledge on the grounds working on development issue on the basis that they are educated while the locals are not. I am not so sure whether this is always true. Equipped with the right information, the locals can perform the work too and with the advantage of local knowledge.
Most people may have heard of "Three Cups of Tea", the book written earlier by the same author that took US by storm. It became a bestseller and brought instant publicity for the author's cause - Bringing education to the girls in Central Asia. It is a much better way to fight terrorism though through arms.
While many people thought the earlier book was better, personally, I like this book more. Stones into School I feel give the much deserved credit to the local people. Their bravery, courage and solitude in forging ahead for the future of the girls are indeed admirable. They are the heroes for believing in the cause and willingness to brave their own safety in order to bring the projects to fruition. I am also inspired by the foresight of the village heads & elders who sincerely believe that there is a place for a school that includes girls. There is so much hope around and the local go through great lengths of hardships to overcome physical and financial difficulties.
I am also very encourged that there are people like Greg who recognises and groom the talented local people. Often, aid agencies employ foreign expensive experts who have no real local knowledge on the grounds working on development issue on the basis that they are educated while the locals are not. I am not so sure whether this is always true. Equipped with the right information, the locals can perform the work too and with the advantage of local knowledge.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
The Beautiful Tree
Picking the book from the library's bookshelves, I was first attracted by the title. "The Beautiful Tree". Wait a minute, who is the author? James Tooley!!! Isn't he the author of the award winning essay a few years back that really impressed me for its new perspective on education for the less economically endowned group? I must read this.
"The Beautiful Tree: A personal journey into how the World's Poorest people are Educating Themselves" is a perspective book. It challenges the normal conceptions and pre-conceptions that development experts have on how to increase accessibility of education to the poor. It challenges that this can only be done through much more aid and getting more educated teachers into the public schools. The book shows that a possible way is private schools for the poor.
The book is insightful and sets you thinking. Is development really better by following blindly the route of the developed countries where not only are there cultural differences, the society framework may be different? Who knows better? Development experts from developed countries who may not understand the lives of the poor and just proclaim their developed path is the only path or the poor who are facing the issue everyday? More efforts can be made to understand the lives that the poor lead and find solutions that will work in their society framework. We certainly have a lot to learn about and from them.
"The Beautiful Tree: A personal journey into how the World's Poorest people are Educating Themselves" is a perspective book. It challenges the normal conceptions and pre-conceptions that development experts have on how to increase accessibility of education to the poor. It challenges that this can only be done through much more aid and getting more educated teachers into the public schools. The book shows that a possible way is private schools for the poor.
The book is insightful and sets you thinking. Is development really better by following blindly the route of the developed countries where not only are there cultural differences, the society framework may be different? Who knows better? Development experts from developed countries who may not understand the lives of the poor and just proclaim their developed path is the only path or the poor who are facing the issue everyday? More efforts can be made to understand the lives that the poor lead and find solutions that will work in their society framework. We certainly have a lot to learn about and from them.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
I am on wireless now!
Wow so happy! :) Previously I am subscribing to two internet plans, mobile broadband and home broadband so that other family members can use internet (the mobile one) should they want to use since the home broadband device is in my room. The mobile one has been very under-used, once a month etc. Now not only can I save money, others can use the wireless broadband which is also at faster speed since is tied to the home broadband! :)
Also waiting for the National day promotions to maybe upgrade the broadband speed further. Think the telcos often roll out good promotions during National Day....3 more weeks.....
Also waiting for the National day promotions to maybe upgrade the broadband speed further. Think the telcos often roll out good promotions during National Day....3 more weeks.....
Melbourne Library
The library in Melbourne. Cosy and Clean, just like my favorite library, Jurong East Library. Nice, I like it! :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)