My Second HomeBlog

Friday, June 12, 2009

Courtesy + Graciousness = Gratitude?

Image by kokeshi via Flickr

I have always been baffled with the way that the Singapore Kindness campaign is going on - at the root level. Yes, we've seen all the advertisements on TV, the newspapers, the posters, and all other media to make sure that we all catch on the beat, and make it our habit.

I may actually focus on the supposedly good-natured benefactor - which, as almost always is pointed out in every comment that is aired, blogged, or printed, that we are lacking that spirit of good-naturedness - we are unwilling to part with our seat and offer it to somebody who needs it more than we do, either by virtue of age, incapacity, maternity situation or disability. In short, there are not so many citizens (note, citizens in the general sense, not only locals) who are into that act of good heart and soul. And we tend to blame that by not having a good education on good manners and right conduct - if we are referring to schoolchildren, young or old.

But how about old, or older people, who are still strong on their bones, and you that they are fit, and perhaps, they carry themselves even more fit than somebody younger of age but falls within the other category of our supposedly recipients of good acts - and the former don't show any sign of offering their seat to the needy?

Or think about the case when a younger man or woman, offering their seat to an older lady - refuses to accept that offer?

Or, can you imagine an old lady, who stands grabbing on to the stanchion, having two people infront of her get up to alight, and she doesn't sit down, so that other younger people - obviously who wanted to sit down themselves, take the opportunity she passes - and sit down themselves, leaving the old lady standing up? I observed carefully, and lo and behold, the old lady was choosy on where she sits! I was surprised. I was wondering why she didn't sit down when there were more than one seat available for her taking, then later on, a few more commuters stood up upon reaching their destination, which she noticed, and that was the time she picked the place she wanted, and sat down - not after a few more stations to pass - and some more time for her to continue standing.

If you happen to see only the first half of this event, surely you would hit hard on the gentlemen. However, if you saw the second half, may I ask, what are you thinking now?

I still can't help but be reminded of the equivalent account of how a mendicant, who was chanced upon on the street by a commoner, and had pity on him, who was almost stripped naked, having nothing anymore decent to wear, and was immediately handed some decent clothes so he can get warm in the cold weather, to simply refuse the offer - because they are not new or extravagant dresses from some dignitaries?

To really appreciate the courtesy, we really have to be in need. To really account for people's graciousness, we should be thankful people. We don't want to be ingrates in the midst of the blessings that we bask and live in everyday. But it seems that we have come to the point of being unmindful of how other people in other countries live, and that we have become less concerned on how others give up their privilege so you can enjoy them - all because they were gracious enough to do so.

Have you done your part by showing gratitude, never mind that you as the recipient aren't getting it exactly the way you wanted it? Some day's you have to give in, to give way.

And if you insist on your way at the expense of the other person's kindness, who has already relegated his right to the seat (he is a paying passenger, just like you) and you refuse, I am very sorry, but I only have one word to describe you: INGRATE.

May you not have another chance to be offered a seat for the rest of your commuter life.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Save the best for last

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'Save the best for last' – to some, it is simply a statement, a motto spoken, then easily forgotten. To some, it have become a creed, a way of life, a guiding principle. To me, I stand in between.

I've met some people who share the same ideal: to sort out things in life, do the uneasy ones first, until all that remains are the very best. When eating, finish up first on the not so tasty dishes, or the not so palatable ingredients, then take time when eating the very last pieces, relishing, savouring, delighting, enjoying.

On some occasions, this ordering of activity works. When time permits, we can do this. Time allows. On other occasions, it simply doesn't work. Gobble up as fast as you can, finish your food in no time, clean up your plate – NOW!

And while time allows us to sneak in our 'save the best for last' way of life, in many, many instances, we are caught by surprises. While we lax about and delay about, suddenly, a call or a knock on the door, or a check on our schedule – anything – that will render our lackadaisical tinkering to a halt – we miss the best part. It has happened to me. I thought I had the time, so I dilly-dally, I take my time, I don't rush, and while midway of whatever I'm doing, I need to rush off!

So I miss the best part – I don't get to enjoy what is supposed to be the last.

With what has happened, does it mean that I totally abandon the idea of saving the best for last? No. In fact, I have already accepted it as part of life. In some days, you get to enjoy, you get to save whatever you think is best, for last. In some days you get your way. In some days, you lose that opportunity. And in some days, you don't bother anymore, just do things in random order, and get things done, whether saving the best for last, or not.

I have learned to live, and be content. But whenever I will have the opportunity, and the chance to go through all the way to the end – I will save the best – for last.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Why do we do tests?

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The world that we know of today is not a perfect world.

Based on that premise, we do tests. What we conceive to be a perfect design, once constructed, and things go wrong, we know immediately that something was missed! A high-rise structure crumbling down, one day before its scheduled completion, a boat sinking on its maiden voyage, and oh I don't want to mention the very recent tragedy of a plane that crashed… so sad.

But these are all tested and retested and retested and retested… who knows how many times, and in many, many ways, and by many, many people, gauging by so many standards, applying so many testing techniques, etc., etc., etc., and yet, things fail.

We can't help that part. But at least when do we our part, we test. Whenever time and opportunity – and most importantly, need – when we need to do testing, we test. We undergo test in our primary school days so that our teachers can gauge our assimilation of the lessons that has been discussed, and yes, if we don't measure up, we don't 'advance' in our studies. And some smart guys will just simply go to the next higher level within the year if they prove to be learning much more and at a faster rate than all the rest – which eventually doesn't prove to be an edge over the test of the students – really. Being smarter doesn't guarantee a better life later on. Actually sometimes it becomes a burden, a problem, a barrier – a curse.

And even during our lessons, we do tests to verify that what the teacher, and what the experts and scientists who devised the experiments and wrote them down in a book, are all true and correct. We are testing whether or not what they found out to be true is still valid and applicable.

We do a lot of tests even at home. When mom cooks, she do 'taste tests' to confirm and make sure that food will taste right, and will be eaten with gusto!

We do tests in almost everything and in almost every time of our life – it is a built-in feature of our being. Before crossing the road, we stop, look left and right to see if it is safe to cross, then only we cross. That it is a built-in feature or us is no question. The problem is that we 'override' that basic feature with our reasoning, our 'higher intelligence'.

How is that?

First, we rationalize. We say that it is not needed anymore. Secondly, we procrastinate. We delay and delay and delay, until the accident goes ahead of us. Thirdly, we drop down our guard. We anyhow drive through, or just cross without checking. Fourth, we are lazy, and we let our laziness get the better of us. Fifth, we simply don't see the value of testing, and while testing we're testing we usually don't see the dangers, the dangers come the moment we stop testing. Are there more? You bet!

Would you stop studying if you knew that you will be going through the same things in the next four years of your study? What is that? I'm talking about numbers. We learn numbers when we were in nursery. We learn it in kindergarten. We learn it in primary school, in secondary, in college, in university, and we still learn numbers in our masters. Of course, there is a difference. From very basic numbers, we progress to using the same numbers, with the advancing of the years equally complicating the usage of the same numbers, and the more complex the equations and mathematical sentences. Are we even mandated to create our very own, unique, original, never-though-of math equation? Proposition? Postulate?

Whatever we do, whatever we devise, whatever we formulate, the next generations will do their part – test our work. And if we are wrong, one way or the other, a smarter guy, or simply, a better man who may not have much learning, but have much understanding of the things in the universe, will just simply prove us wrong, or simply complement the work that we did – a tweak here and there, a slight reconstruction of the equation, a restructuring of the sentence – all with a major effect and impact to what we did in the past – transferring the credit to the 'now' guy, and burying in history the 'then' guy. Have we given our share for the sake of mankind? Have we contributed for the common good?

Here's what I can say. Whatever happens, what we do now may no longer be applicable in the future. When their testing yield a very different result, and it guides them to new discoveries, and compels them to write a new formulation, mandates a new creation – everything new – that should be alright. We'd done our part, and it worked during our team. As the world changes, so does the things in the world.

History will tell, and each generation will laud the work that we did, the tests that we carried out. They will do the same – until there is no more to test.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

I'm a software developer

Image via Wikipedia

What am I? Or what work do I do?

I'm currently a software developer. But not some big time, big name, big bucks software developer. Yes, I work in a big company, and I have my own special skill and nobody is able to approach without the years to count - that is what I have. Well, it wasn't intentional, but it is something that happens when you are focused on learning a trade, and it ends up that in some countries, they dread or shun that trade. When the need comes, you are alone, or you are somebody who is singly able to handle all that life will throw to you in that trade - an expert.

I hate to say that I am an expert. One time it can be a blessing, another time it can be a curse. It is a blessing when it is the good times, but during the bad times, it is a curse.

During the good times, there will be many projects, and as I have said, whatever they can think of doing, whatever they can conceive of creating, of putting up and builing up higher and higher, that you can do, that you can support. But comes the time when the system decides to go haywire, and refuses to get fixed - ask any IT guy, especially network and infrastructure folks - they will curse those days. You will get so tired, and even when you are already so tired, you don't have any chance to rest, no time to sleep, no time to go back home to even just take a shower - you have to stay indoors, in the company, in the computer room, together with all kindred IT folks, trying to solve the mystery that is making the servers not work, or, even when it works, what is causing it to stop and stall, or work some other ways than it was designed and defined to... sleepless nights, dreadful meetings, harsh demands... that is the work in IT...

But then again, no, I don't belong to the network team, or even the infrastructure team. I have my own team that isn't exactly an IT group, and isn't purely a user group - we are a hybrid lot - mixed IT and user knowhow and expertise. That is why I know a bit of manufacturing, and a lot of the system. I was with IT before, and my skills was required in the user team, so I was sort of "borrowed", and was never returned. As it turned out, it was for my good. I would have made the move earlier if I knew what it was bringing me...

Someday, somehow, when things don't go your way, you think that it is the end of your world, but it is not. We only fail to see the distant shimmer of light, the glimmer of hope, when the skies suddenly truns black with all the rain-heavy clouds that blocks all ray of sunshine, even in the midday of our life.

Don't despair. Don't fret. Some days bring rain, but these water the trees and plants that completes the nourishment of the flora that brings about the flowers along our path. Some days are all sun, and we are scorched and we sweat all over, but these are also necessary to dry our ways, that would otherwise be flooded with continuous raining. Each season has its own time, its own purpose.

If you look at the forest, and single out a tree, and are able to paint an exact replica of that tree, do you think that your work is finished? In fact it is not. A painter is finished simply because he stops painting. The tree that you painted isn't finished growing. Some branches will die, but still some branches sprout anew. Life will always have that balance of dying and living, losing and finding, releasing and harnessing, giving and receiving.

What do I do? I'm a software developer. For now. Who knows what will I be in the near future?

When selecting a Template

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Today in my evaluation of many, many templates, I am reminded of what the internet revolution is causing: more use of electricity, more carbon emission.

There has been recent news articles that says the upkeeping of the servers used by the public, like YouTube, WordPress, Blogger, etc. - name any internet portal that is free and common - and it would most likely be accessed by anybody in the world - a world wide web - with a PC and an internet connection to get you linked up - that is the public portal. And it was found that these public portals (1) have so much data in their system and it occupies a lot of space, (2) their usage is non-stop, 24x7, and they have to be up and running all the time.

Just these 2 factors create a huge appetite for electricity - something that is fueled by coals and trees... and whose byproduct is an enormous emission of carbon dioxide into the air, the atmosphere... what humans, animals and plants breathe to live.

That's on the environmentalistic side.

For the aesthetic side, it has to be simple but nice. The more gadgets and applets, the more it looks cluttered. Of course, while the net is a easy to search and browse, some functionalities are still worth putting in the blog - for easier and faster use when needed. Not to mention that some of these applets and gadgets, when used inside the blog, will brush in a bit of trickling coins into the author's purse. And of course, a Search engine that is localised to the blog will really ease up the search activity. Simple as that.

In all its simplicity, it has to be first functional. The aesthetic side will simply follow - and its cosmetics should be suited to what the blog is all about. Now this is really something hard, or I should say, harder to fulfill, as what you would find in many websites, not only blogs, that so many things are inside the webpage, that it gets so cluttered, and it gets so messy, and it gets so confusing, that you don't really know what to click next.

When that happens, the next course of action for the user is ABANDONMENT. Just close the browser and go. Go and visit another webpage, or simply just end the browsing activity. That really turns off a lot of users - and the author or the web designer thought that it would just attract visitors - when what it does is the opposite. And this affects all other web page authors - it doesn't give a positive experience to visitors.

Anyway, if you want to know more, read related books, like Make Easy Money With Google, Always Be Testing, etc., etc. These I have read, and some other books, and aside from really gaining very useful and practical insights on building, maintaining and testing websites, they will point you to other webpages and books to further your knowledge and skill on websites building and maintenance - again, to explicitly mention it, with some coins trickling down into your purse - as with the blowing of the wind as visitors are brought and directed to your sites.

Did I digress a lot? I think I did. What can I do? I've been into these books for some time, and actually, I wanted to copy down a lot of information from the books I read, but time-wise, I can't. I don't have that much of a time. I'm actually stealing some from my work, as when there is some slack time, I sneak into blogging. And even when there are activities, I use the waiting time in between to post to my blogs. So just imagine that some posts will take that long time to write, when it fact they should be written speedily, immediately, quickly, instantly...

I am almost done testing this blog template from jackbook.com, so till then, till the new blog template to be tested... sayonara.

What Do We Have Today

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Today I was able to come out of the house not so late, so I wasn't so much in a hurry, but just the same, as in most days, I don't have time to waste. A wrong turn here, or a stall there, a stopover midway, name it, and any move that will take a second or tens of it, one, two or three times, and you're done for!

Well, what do I have to hurry for?

We have a company bus, and getting at least the very last shuttle service means:

You wouldn't have to queue up for the feeder bus
You wouldn't have to wait at least 5 minutes in the heat of the morning rush's mass of people, who are caught in the jam just like you
You wouldn't have to stop to let others alight - a feeder bus stops where commuters are going down - that you don't have to do when taking the company shuttle bus
Finally, you wouldn't have to walk to go in to the company premises. Feeder buses have their own route, while shuttle buses go in to the company compound, and you just go down, go in the gantry, and you're in.

Anyway, as has been said, today was a better day, in that I was able to catch the last shuttle bus, and was spared all the trouble - if I were to take a feeder bus.

Many many thanks to my Lord who spared me the troubles of the morning rush. Amen!

7th post

I have been tracking the progress of Flight 447, and the swine flu A(H1N1) outbreak, that I completely forgot about my testing of this blog template. Anyway, I'm trying to complete that testing today - if I can.

Still no hurry. But I wanted to test another one, so I think I will have to complete this current blog template first. I don't want to discard my current testing - this template is very nice, simple and uncluttered - which is why I find it very nice.

Well, some more posts, so we can test the handling of older posts, switching of pages, etc., etc.

So many templates I find are very good in the face value only, only work fine at the first page, but they don't work good when you already have so many posts, when they switch between pages of latest posts and older posts, etc., etc.

That feature, and some others that are not so technical, I wanted to test, and ultimately, if I am satisfied, I will use them in my blogs.

May I succeed in my endeavour. For me, and for all the bloggers who may be wanting to use the same templates as me.

Till then.

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Friday, June 12, 2009

Courtesy + Graciousness = Gratitude?

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Save the best for last

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Why do we do tests?

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

I'm a software developer

When selecting a Template

What Do We Have Today

7th post

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