Heard over the radio today ... people have been attending talks about the topic. One generalisation reported on radio that I agree totally. One will never be late if you are genuinely interested in keeping the appointment. You are late simply because you are just not bothered. Period .... Be it for an appointment with friends, going for lessons, attending schools, reporting for work, going for dates etc. And most often, blame will be pushed to transport uncertainties, someone holding you back for some matters ... there's always a million and one excuses to justify your lateness (and we know that it can't be true if it happens on more than 2-3 occasions).
Just about last week, as reported in the Straits Times, professional trainers have been earning lots of money while training company staffs in various aspects of professionalism. Rate ranging between few hundreds to $1.5k per hour .... yes! PER HOUR. Apparently, these trainers are in high demand as companies regard these fees as small change when it comes to increase the productivities of their employees. Let's see ... if I work for 30 hours months, I can buy a new car every 3-6 months, or a new bungalow every 1-2 years. Not Bad!!
Amusingly, all these power talks that we have been attending one time or another. Somehow, it had been mentioned before throughout our learning years ... be it in school or from our parents.
Sometimes, I will relay my "Didn't I tell you so ..." logics to my charges who had attended such "power talk" workshops.
Having such negative feelings towards the above, it does not mean that these "talks" do not have values in themselves. They do serve as a good refresher for people as they are journeying through their hectic lives and forgetting the basics that they had experienced in the long past. So, it is good to attend some once in long while, that's when I have to behave against my skepticism.
I had seen school students who were delinquents in school but once they are attending private schools that can mean anything starting from $400 per month, they appear to be more focussed in their learning. Hear it too often from ex-students, school teachers are good and cost next to nothing (for singaporeans at least) but the students come to realise that fact only when they step into the real world. Strange human mentality!
25 March, 2010
16 March, 2010
Scandals, Anyone?
Strange how celebrities got embroiled in scandals time and again. US presidents, senators, Tiger Wood, Jack Neo etc...
Back in those days when extra marital affairs were commonly accepted as a way of life. Mind you, they still are for some in these modern times. I had seen several instances of wives turning a blind eye to the husbands' trysts .. as long as they put bread on the table or more likely to be - do not bring those diseases into the family.
I had encountered people committing suicide upon discovering they had contracted sexual diseases, and leave their families to cope with the loss. Sad, but true, the evils of the most ancient deadly sins. Look for the "Seven Deadly Sins" in youtube if you are interested (I first watched it on cable)
And to top it all, its also rightly put that money is the sins of all evils. Those celebrities may have started off poor or not so well-off in their early years. Once they become stronger financially or in reputation, then ... tsk tsk. Perhaps its more logical to have enough and not too much, but then, who will complain with more money.
Tiger Wood's reason is pretty fresh to me though. As reported in one of our local papers, there is this urge that cannot be contained. How much of that is true, I am not so sure and have no wish to pursue. To me, an excuse can thinly be disguised as a legitimate reason.
On the other hand, some people have the charisma to influence others even if the perpetrators are not rich, like those leaders of cults that had surfaced in the news time and again. Or should it be said that some people are easily influenced by people who capitalised on their weaknesses? Perhaps its just the unfortunate timings that put the 2 people together... fate?
Back in those days when extra marital affairs were commonly accepted as a way of life. Mind you, they still are for some in these modern times. I had seen several instances of wives turning a blind eye to the husbands' trysts .. as long as they put bread on the table or more likely to be - do not bring those diseases into the family.
I had encountered people committing suicide upon discovering they had contracted sexual diseases, and leave their families to cope with the loss. Sad, but true, the evils of the most ancient deadly sins. Look for the "Seven Deadly Sins" in youtube if you are interested (I first watched it on cable)
And to top it all, its also rightly put that money is the sins of all evils. Those celebrities may have started off poor or not so well-off in their early years. Once they become stronger financially or in reputation, then ... tsk tsk. Perhaps its more logical to have enough and not too much, but then, who will complain with more money.
Tiger Wood's reason is pretty fresh to me though. As reported in one of our local papers, there is this urge that cannot be contained. How much of that is true, I am not so sure and have no wish to pursue. To me, an excuse can thinly be disguised as a legitimate reason.
On the other hand, some people have the charisma to influence others even if the perpetrators are not rich, like those leaders of cults that had surfaced in the news time and again. Or should it be said that some people are easily influenced by people who capitalised on their weaknesses? Perhaps its just the unfortunate timings that put the 2 people together... fate?
03 March, 2010
Design for? .. and other matters.
Attended an interesting course last month, about Designing. Something that I had never thought I will attend.
The interactions with the lecturers at Ngee Ann Polytechnic provided some new knowledges. Certainly gained some new perspectives in teaching designing as well as some new approaches to help my charges.
It was mentioned that ex-NP students were commenting tough life at the Uni. Personally, one of my ex-charges commented, "In school, a query from student will get '10 times' of answers in return. In Poly, you have to ask a question in 10 different ways before you can get an answer"
Basically, what they are doing in Poly is what I have been trying to expose my charges to, albeit at an earlier time. Teaching them to be independent so that they can face the real world outside. It is getting very difficult to "teach" the school students in this way, not with the kind of pamper that they get in this modern age. The day finally came for one of my ex-charges to tell me that he is the only one in his poly class to be able to source for the appropriate material for his project by himself.
Which led me to think .... What the current students are lacking, the basic necessities of respect for the speakers, be it during lesson or while attending a public speech. We are not even talking of respect for teachers, but merely a common courtesy to at least pretend to be attentive while some one is speaking. How can you learn while some one is sharing and you are engaged in your own conversation? Why waste your time to attend in the first place and go somewhere else instead?
Then there is rebuttal of being forced to attend, but then again, if forcing is in place, why is it not working its effect in the first place? To me, lame excuse for being a social misfit. Sadly, we often see such socially unacceptable behaviour with adults too.
The interactions with the lecturers at Ngee Ann Polytechnic provided some new knowledges. Certainly gained some new perspectives in teaching designing as well as some new approaches to help my charges.
It was mentioned that ex-NP students were commenting tough life at the Uni. Personally, one of my ex-charges commented, "In school, a query from student will get '10 times' of answers in return. In Poly, you have to ask a question in 10 different ways before you can get an answer"
Basically, what they are doing in Poly is what I have been trying to expose my charges to, albeit at an earlier time. Teaching them to be independent so that they can face the real world outside. It is getting very difficult to "teach" the school students in this way, not with the kind of pamper that they get in this modern age. The day finally came for one of my ex-charges to tell me that he is the only one in his poly class to be able to source for the appropriate material for his project by himself.
Which led me to think .... What the current students are lacking, the basic necessities of respect for the speakers, be it during lesson or while attending a public speech. We are not even talking of respect for teachers, but merely a common courtesy to at least pretend to be attentive while some one is speaking. How can you learn while some one is sharing and you are engaged in your own conversation? Why waste your time to attend in the first place and go somewhere else instead?
Then there is rebuttal of being forced to attend, but then again, if forcing is in place, why is it not working its effect in the first place? To me, lame excuse for being a social misfit. Sadly, we often see such socially unacceptable behaviour with adults too.
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