Artists and Their Models

It is the second time Hong Kong Museum of Art worked with Centre Pompidou, Paris to bring in collection from the Modern and Post Modern Period. The show features models as muse, friends, social symbols and politic figures. I have studied most artists in my undersgraudate although these collection is quite new to me.

Actually the children education corner is the most interesting part of the exhibition. We participate and we have fun!

天星碼頭

張愛玲於六十年前寫過這樣的話語:

「這時代，舊的東西在崩壞，新的在滋長中。但在時代的高潮來到之前，斬釘截鐵的事物不過是例外。人們只是感覺日常的一切都有點兒不對，不對到恐怖的程度。人是生活於一個時代裡的，可是這時代卻在影子似地沉沒下去，人覺得自己是被拋棄了。為要證實自己的存在，抓住一點真實的，最基本的東西，不能不求助於古老的記憶，人類在一切時代之中生活過的記憶，這比瞭望將來要更明晰、親切。於是他對於周圍的現實發生了種奇異的的感覺，疑心這是個荒唐的，古代的世界，陰暗而明亮的。回憶與現實之間時時發現尷尬的不和諧，因而產生了鄭重而輕微的騷動，認真而未有名目的鬥爭。」

Rehearsal for Annual Dinner

Somehow by chance I volunteer to be one of the actor in our annual dinner. We have gone to To Kwan Wan for a drama rehearsal. It is a rush, chanllenging and enjoyable experience. I cannot imagine I need to perform in drama and dance in front of some many people. I have not really moved my body and danced for many years.

I am a very devoted employee in the drama. So am I devoted in real life? Am I a committed and positive employee?

Tom Lee Clearance

It is my first time to visit the Tom Lee Clearance show . Even though I am a Tom Lee music centre student, I am virtually not aware of such event until I spot the small banner at www.tomleemusic.com. Tom Lee hosts this warehouse clearance sales once every three years. It is a big clearance day, with at least 100 guitars and 20 pianos on sales. There are at least 20 classical guitars and I have the chance to touch each of them. I have spent almost 45 minutes until the staff announce the closure.It is crazy and I have seen many people just take and pay.

Catch the balls and stop eating peanut butter

An internal document by Brad Garlinghouse, a Yahoo senior vice president has been "leaked" to the Wall Street Journal on Nov 18 2006.

It maybe a internal power struggle tactic. Yet it is an impressive and touching memo. It also reflect the delicate leadership position of the giant internet / media company is holding. If you do not wake up, you may just disapper when there are new players who are good to capture customer needs and mobilize resources. In every job I keep reminding myself the same motto....several years ago, I enthusiastically join this company...

The full memo are attached:

**********************************************
Three and half years ago, I enthusiastically joined Yahoo! The magnitude of the opportunity was only matched by the magnitude of the assets. And an amazing team has been responsible for rebuilding Yahoo!

It has been a profound experience. I am fortunate to have been a part of dramatic change for the Company. And our successes speak for themselves. More users than ever, more engaging than ever and more profitable than ever!

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I proudly bleed purple and yellow everyday! And like so many people here, I love this company

But all is not well. Last Thursday's NY Times article was a blessing in the disguise of a painful public flogging. While it lacked accurate details, its conclusions rang true, and thus was a much needed wake up call. But also a call to action. A clear statement with which I, and far too many Yahoo's, agreed. And thankfully a reminder. A reminder that the measure of any person is not in how many times he or she falls down - but rather the spirit and resolve used to get back up. The same is now true of our Company.

It's time for us to get back up.

I believe we must embrace our problems and challenges and that we must take decisive action. We have the opportunity - in fact the invitation - to send a strong, clear and powerful message to our shareholders and Wall Street, to our advertisers and our partners, to our employees (both current and future), and to our users. They are all begging for a signal that we recognize and understand our problems, and that we are charting a course for fundamental change. Our current course and speed simply will not get us there. Short-term band-aids will not get us there.

It's time for us to get back up and seize this invitation.

I imagine there's much discussion amongst the Company's senior most leadership around the challenges we face. At the risk of being redundant, I wanted to share my take on our current situation and offer a recommended path forward, an attempt to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem.

Recognizing Our Problems

We lack a focused, cohesive vision for our company. We want to do everything and be everything -- to everyone. We've known this for years, talk about it incessantly, but do nothing to fundamentally address it. We are scared to be left out. We are reactive instead of charting an unwavering course. We are separated into silos that far too frequently don't talk to each other. And when we do talk, it isn't to collaborate on a clearly focused strategy, but rather to argue and fight about ownership, strategies and tactics.

Our inclination and proclivity to repeatedly hire leaders from outside the company results in disparate visions of what winning looks like -- rather than a leadership team rallying around a single cohesive strategy.

I've heard our strategy described as spreading peanut butter across the myriad opportunities that continue to evolve in the online world. The result: a thin layer of investment spread across everything we do and thus we focus on nothing in particular.

I hate peanut butter. We all should.

We lack clarity of ownership and accountability. The most painful manifestation of this is the massive redundancy that exists throughout the organization. We now operate in an organizational structure -- admittedly created with the best of intentions -- that has become overly bureaucratic. For far too many employees, there is another person with dramatically similar and overlapping responsibilities. This slows us down and burdens the company with unnecessary costs.

Equally problematic, at what point in the organization does someone really OWN the success of their product or service or feature? Product, marketing, engineering, corporate strategy, financial operations... there are so many people in charge (or believe that they are in charge) that it's not clear if anyone is in charge. This forces decisions to be pushed up - rather than down. It forces decisions by committee or consensus and discourages the innovators from breaking the mold... thinking outside the box.

There's a reason why a centerfielder and a left fielder have clear areas of ownership. Pursuing the same ball repeatedly results in either collisions or dropped balls. Knowing that someone else is pursuing the ball and hoping to avoid that collision - we have become timid in our pursuit. Again, the ball drops.

We lack decisiveness. Combine a lack of focus with unclear ownership, and the result is that decisions are either not made or are made when it is already too late. Without a clear and focused vision, and without complete clarity of ownership, we lack a macro perspective to guide our decisions and visibility into who should make those decisions. We are repeatedly stymied by challenging and hairy decisions. We are held hostage by our analysis paralysis.

We end up with competing (or redundant) initiatives and synergistic opportunities living in the different silos of our company.

• YME vs. Musicmatch

• Flickr vs. Photos

• YMG video vs. Search video

• Deli.cio.us vs. myweb

• Messenger and plug-ins vs. Sidebar and widgets

• Social media vs. 360 and Groups

• Front page vs. YMG

• Global strategy from BU'vs. Global strategy from Int'l


We have lost our passion to win. Far too many employees are "phoning" it in, lacking the passion and commitment to be a part of the solution. We sit idly by while -- at all levels -- employees are enabled to "hang around". Where is the accountability? Moreover, our compensation systems don't align to our overall success. Weak performers that have been around for years are rewarded. And many of our top performers aren't adequately recognized for their efforts.

As a result, the employees that we really need to stay (leaders, risk-takers, innovators, passionate) become discouraged and leave. Unfortunately many who opt to stay are not the ones who will lead us through the dramatic change that is needed.

Solving our Problems

We have awesome assets. Nearly every media and communications company is painfully jealous of our position. We have the largest audience, they are highly engaged and our brand is synonymous with the Internet.

If we get back up, embrace dramatic change, we will win.

I don't pretend there is only one path forward available to us. However, at a minimum, I want to be part of the solution and thus have outlined a plan here that I believe can work. It is my strong belief that we need to act very quickly or risk going further down a slippery slope, The plan here is not perfect; it is, however, FAR better than no action at all.

There are three pillars to my plan:

1. Focus the vision.

2. Restore accountability and clarity of ownership.

3. Execute a radical reorganization.

1. Focus the vision

a) We need to boldly and definitively declare what we are and what we are not.

b) We need to exit (sell?) non core businesses and eliminate duplicative projects and businesses.

My belief is that the smoothly spread peanut butter needs to turn into a deliberately sculpted strategy -- that is narrowly focused.

We can't simply ask each BU to figure out what they should stop doing. The result will continue to be a non-cohesive strategy. The direction needs to come decisively from the top. We need to place our bets and not second guess. If we believe Media will maximize our ROI -- then let's not be bashful about reducing our investment in other areas. We need to make the tough decisions, articulate them and stick with them -- acknowledging that some people (users / partners / employees) will not like it. Change is hard.

2. Restore accountability and clarity of ownership

a) Existing business owners must be held accountable for where we find ourselves today -- heads must roll,

b) We must thoughtfully create senior roles that have holistic accountability for a particular line of business (a variant of a GM structure that will work with Yahoo!'s new focus)

c) We must redesign our performance and incentive systems.

I believe there are too many BU leaders who have gotten away with unacceptable results and worse -- unacceptable leadership. Too often they (we!) are the worst offenders of the problems outlined here. We must signal to both the employees and to our shareholders that we will hold these leaders (ourselves) accountable and implement change.

By building around a strong and unequivocal GM structure, we will not only empower those leaders, we will eliminate significant overhead throughout our multi-headed matrix. It must be very clear to everyone in the organization who is empowered to make a decision and ownership must be transparent. With that empowerment comes increased accountability -- leaders make decisions, the rest of the company supports those decisions, and the leaders ultimately live/die by the results of those decisions.

My view is that far too often our compensation and rewards are just spreading more peanut butter. We need to be much more aggressive about performance based compensation. This will only help accelerate our ability to weed out our lowest performers and better reward our hungry, motivated and productive employees.

3. Execute a radical reorganization

a) The current business unit structure must go away.

b) We must dramatically decentralize and eliminate as much of the matrix as possible.

c) We must reduce our headcount by 15-20%.

I emphatically believe we simply must eliminate the redundancies we have created and the first step in doing this is by restructuring our organization. We can be more efficient with fewer people and we can get more done, more quickly. We need to return more decision making to a new set of business units and their leadership. But we can't achieve this with baby step changes, We need to fundamentally rethink how we organize to win.

Independent of specific proposals of what this reorganization should look like, two key principles must be represented:

Blow up the matrix. Empower a new generation and model of General Managers to be true general managers. Product, marketing, user experience & design, engineering, business development & operations all report into a small number of focused General Managers. Leave no doubt as to where accountability lies.

Kill the redundancies. Align a set of new BU's so that they are not competing against each other. Search focuses on search. Social media aligns with community and communications. No competing owners for Video, Photos, etc. And Front Page becomes Switzerland. This will be a delicate exercise -- decentralization can create inefficiencies, but I believe we can find the right balance.

I love Yahoo! I'm proud to admit that I bleed purple and yellow. I'm proud to admit that I shaved a Y in the back of my head.

My motivation for this memo is the adamant belief that, as before, we have a tremendous opportunity ahead. I don't pretend that I have the only available answers, but we need to get the discussion going; change is needed and it is needed soon. We can be a stronger and faster company - a company with a clearer vision and clearer ownership and clearer accountability.

We may have fallen down, but the race is a marathon and not a sprint. I don't pretend that this will be easy. It will take courage, conviction, insight and tremendous commitment. I very much look forward to the challenge.

So let's get back up.

Catch the balls.

And stop eating peanut butter

A Break

When's the last time you took a break from the hustle and rush working life? Last week I have taken a real quick lunch and had the whole hour playing guitar at a music studio in Wanchai. It was an amazing and wonderful experience of focusing not at work but at something that you enjoy.

Surprisingly, I was still the early bird who come back to office after the lunch hour.

Aberdeen Reservoir

I always believe the best natural landscape is not far away in New Zealand or South Africa. It is always in our small city – Hong Kong. Imagine we have over 80% areas belongs to natural park. Come to join me to visit the Aberdeen Reservoir, which is just 15 minutes walking distance from the Aberdeen city centre. Indeed I have seen the same beautiful and tranquil landscape in New Zealand this year.

Future Direction

It is almost the year end and best time for rethink and plan for future direction. What are my priorities in next year (and in the coming 3 years)? Should I

• Study for a new course
• Acquire a professional qualification like CPA, CFA
• Continue to brush up my mandarin
• Learn new management and communication skills
• 200% devoted to my work
• Focus on my family and friends
  

We can have everything, but not at the same time. I will need to think through to pick the right direction and strive to reach the destination.

A drop in the bucket

I've seen a TV programme about a group of young musician who are trying their best to practice everyday to be the professional artist. One of them mentioned Ralph Kirschbaum once said "Everything you do, every step you take, is a drop in the bucket." Ralph is a renowned cello soloist. It may be trivial if we practice everyday. We may not aware any breakthrough. Yet, slightly and slightly, our efforts are accumulated and the bucket will be overfilled one day suddenly. To be an outstanding artist may require talent, but more importantly one's continuous efforts to be perfect. The same principle apply not only to music training but also learning language, studying a new subject, advancing one's carrer, building a website and building a business.

More details on Ralph Kirschbaum

什麼人訪問什麼人﹕港燦是個七字頭

I like the HK Blogger 港燦 interview by Ming Pao very much. It actually capture the "struggling mentality" of the HK middle class who were born in 70's. Click here to see the article

(明報) 11月 05日 星期日 05:05AM
【明報專訊】網上世界百花齊放，有些人說會取代主流傳媒，也有說會遲早被主流傳媒吃掉。

筆者有一個網站，沒有幾個人看，每天的讀者不到100人。在過去兩年間，筆者開始在報章和雜誌寫作，在網上的寫作愈來愈少，慢慢被主流傳媒吸納。

港燦也有一個網站，很多人看，每天的讀者超過2000人。在過去兩年間，《港燦筆記》這個博客獲得多份報章雜誌介紹，網主卻一直堅持不上鏡，不公開身分，不走進主流傳媒。

兩條路，本來只是個人選擇的不同。談到結尾，卻發現兩人所共同面對的，是同輩「七字頭」如何和社會對話的大問題。嬰兒潮的一輩快將退休，社會上層的位置卻沒有因而讓後來者自由競爭。香港的新生代如果要立志幹一番事業，應該如何自處﹖

本來對找港燦做長篇訪問不抱太大期望，每次報章雜誌談到他的博客，他總說感到很不好受。有次某雜誌把《港燦筆記》評為「舉足輕重」，他立即把博客的副題改為「並非財經網誌」，拒絕記者的稱許。

為了自娛 也是自學

港燦的博客多談企業財務會計分析，從跨國公司到商場貼紙相連鎖店的營運研究都有，就連稱許他的雜誌也會被他煎皮拆骨，解讀在該報業集團的位置。問到港燦為什麼會寫這類題材，他說最初純綷是出於興趣。他一再強調，在網上寫文章只是為了自娛，不是為了成名。本是金融服務業出身，港燦對市場消息自然比較留意。有時他自己或朋友不同意一些主流傳媒的意見，便很想「寫幾行字發泄」。如是者，便有了《港燦筆記》。

從自娛開始，港燦發現寫博客其實也是一個自學的過程。他說因為曾經誤判了某上市公司的股票，覺得應該把平日研究股票、年報等的自學筆記貼上博客，希望能拋磚引玉，讓真正的高手出來指正。不過他一直強調自己並不專業，其業餘股票研究很難做得到專業投資者應有的精細。

所以博客獲得主流傳媒的報道，港燦不單絲毫沒有一點飄飄然的感覺，反而第一次感到有壓力。早前他甚至曾宣布停寫，到了最近才重出江湖。要他選擇以真身示人，在可見的將來似乎是毫無可能。

不以真身示人 謙稱水準未夠

港燦還說幸好他的上司不知道他就是港燦，如果發現他常常在上班時間寫自己的博客，還不立即革職查辦﹗還好他在公司有自己的房間，身後只有一幅牆，讓他可以靠寫博客來忙?偷閒。他始終謙遜地說自己水準未夠，太早成名不但不會有助自己轉工，只會增加被金融業踢入黑名單的機會。

如是者，話題便轉到「成名與否」的抉擇。年輕人從剛踏足社會開始，來到林海峰(相關新聞 - 網站)說的「三字頭」關口，總會想想自己的事業該如何的走下去。在業界中打響名堂，從來是向上爬的一個重要手段。

筆者就遇過不少在「博上位」的同輩，去過幾次旅行就自稱旅遊玩家，上過一次電台就自稱客席主持。他們總是不會放過交換名片的機會，總是在不斷找尋見報的方法。這些人有的主持小眾寬頻節目，有的在免費報章寫評論，有的還磨摩擦掌要去選區議員。

說到投資市場，同樣不時會有所謂的少年股神出現，被傳媒一窩蜂地追捧。據說確實有少年股神獲電台邀請講股，還受投資銀行賞識，主動邀請到其研究部面試云云。港燦也曾在博客提到某些年輕投資者樂意被傳媒追捧，其實是志在尋找客人做資產管理。

筆者以為重實學的港燦會對樂於爭逐名利的人很鄙視，誰知他卻說﹕「也是為了餬口而已，反正不是去偷去搶，也就不要理會他們吧。」

世伯變仇人 經歷不愉快

既然明白名譽地位的重要，對爭逐的過程又不盡反感，為何在網上擁有穩定讀者群的港燦仍然多番強調不想見報﹖幾經追問之下，港燦終於道出一個不愉快的故事。

話說某年市道和今天的差不多，有位在銀行股票機前認識的朋友，本來相熟得想介紹女兒給港燦認識。這朋友問港燦恆指將會升還是跌，他便說當時市場暢旺勿估頂。誰知轉頭市勢逆轉，弄得這朋友由贏變輸，獲利變成止蝕。這位朋友第二天遇到港燦，有如見到仇家一樣，更別說讓他和女兒來往。從此之後，港燦情願在網上和各方素未謀面的人談，也不想變成什麼股壇名人。

沒股票推介 沒內幕消息

今天港燦還在博客旁邊寫上一大段密密麻麻的「使用條款」，列明投資價格可跌可升，讀者應該自行判斷。博客沒有股票號碼推介，沒有獨家內幕炒股消息，他卻還是擔心會歷史重演，會有人輸錢之後怨他一世。

為什麼經歷了金融風暴之後，香港人炒作和投機的風氣沒有改變﹖港燦說除了可以用作投機的錢少了，和金融產品及衍生工具的選擇增加之外，現在香港的投機風氣和97年前沒有分別。我們甚至可以懷疑，新一代的香港人可能要比上一代更為投機，才能有機會向上爬。

工業和服務業的暴發周期已過，傳統打工仔靠累積年資經驗和持續進修來升職的路已愈來愈難走。港燦說，如果「上位」的定義是取代老闆的位置，那麼很抱歉，連老闆也自身難保，因為公司早已被內地新精英的後代收購。他們國語英語俱佳，既有國際專業資格，又熟悉內地社會生存的蠱惑招數。香港的新一代如不走投機之路，只怕永遠也沒有向上流的機會。

人生如孖展窩輪交易

從這宏觀的角度出發，那些不斷「博上位」的「卡片黨」又似乎只是時代的反映。對於香港的新一代，投機從不止於抽新股，還有花錢花時間讀副學士(相關新聞 - 網站)和申請創業基金。人生旅途從來就是一場又一場的孖展窩輪交易，買賣場的名字叫「我用青春賭明天」。

港燦說，自拍錄像短片上網、參加《殘酷一叮》、選美和各類遊戲節目，以至各類政治壓力和宗教團體的興起，都可以是這個社會大潮的反照。近年所謂「御宅族」的興起，不一定只有動漫、打機、音樂、電腦黑客幾類。他們代表了一些街上完全不起眼的人，對某些題目的獨特研究心得，或創作天分之強，可能完全是主流媒體沒有見過的。在傳統晉升階梯苦無出路的年輕人，正按此途又一次發揮香港人的「執生」精神。

如果有多些企業能如港燦的希望一樣，能在傳統招聘程序之外多留意這些「御宅族」，把能夠發揮他們才能、創作力和研究心得的工作給他們做，香港仍有條件發展創意產業，而香港的晉升階梯亦可被拉闊。說到這兒，筆者總算隱隱看到「不想見報」的港燦在走一條怎樣的路。

既說三十而立，我們這一代在改革開放和金融風暴當中成長的「七字頭」，在這強政勵治的和諧社會之下，原來無論選擇走哪一道階梯，其實都是在城市的跌蕩當中找尋屬於我們的位置。

後記

與港燦談起霍英東(相關新聞 - 網站)先生辭世的消息，他問﹕「霍英東先生是靠膽識還是知識改變命運﹖」這條問題太難回答了吧﹗筆者只有很初步很初步地假設，在每一個社會，每一套制度之下，每一代都會用各自的方法自製存活空間。至於當他們找到機會之後，會選擇改變建制還是變成建制的一部分，則又是另一個完全不同的課題了。

Hong Kong Wetland Park 2006

青文結業

Catch the news from 馬家輝。稿紙以外 that 青文 has been closed on 31 Aug 2006. It is an excellent bookshop in Wanchai, featuring many local and overseas books (with Twilight bookshop) literature, sociology, psychology and philosophy books. With the rise of Amazon, I rarely shop at 青文. Sadly that I worked in Wan Chai now and never visited青文 in the last two years.

Changes are constant. In particular, the development in Internet and urban landscape drives things changes and goes quickly. We have so many memories with bookshop, Queen’s Pier and Hong Kong Star Ferry Piers. It is now resided with our memories only.

Hong Kong Stock Market; HSI: 18,936.55

My friend started to ask me whether I am bullish or bearish with the Hong Kong stock market. The HSI reached 18,936.55 today, the peak ever since the internet bubble in Year 2000. Instead of evaluating the stock market from a fundamental analysis or technical analysis, I would like to look at the stock market from the behavioural finance perspective.

It happened six years ago, just a few months before the bubble crash. It was just amazing that everyone invested in the stock market. Every investment has good return-on-investment. Every IPO has recorded with excellent over-subscription rate. Even the auntie at the newspaper stalls, colleagues and friends who had never invested in stock market joined the crowd of “hot and fast” money! Try asking your friends, colleagues and even street passer-by, you could have a feel whether it is a hot market or not.

When the critical mass – all retail investors are pulled into the stock market, It is always the best alert signal to stop and think. It is time for discipline and control. So what did I do? My cash are still with the stock market, but “high fly” equities are swapped with some stable and dividend rich equities. My adjustment will continue in November.

Lemon Tea Advertisement




I ride on MTR everyday, same as million of Hong Kong people. HK MTR is full of advertisement and I like this "Lemon Tea" advertisement which wrapped up the whole MTR cabinet. The yellow colour is so lively and brand impressive. I also notice a man carrying the yellow www.tdctrade.com necklace. Did you notice?

Irene and Eugene Wedding

Thanks Irene for inviting me to her wedding reception today. It’s just so nice and happy to see so many people celebrating and witnessing together. Indeed, it’s my second time to join an outdoor wedding reception. So good weather!

May I wish Irene and Eugene all the best! Happy wedding life!

Instant Messaging

Do you MSN? ICQ? QQ?

I have been using ICQ for more than 5 years, and start to use MSN Messenger since last year. Surprisingly, my ICQ friends also migrate to MSN and there are so many people using MSN now. Just a rough count, I have 30 ICQ contact but 188 MSN contact.

It is so convenient to use IM tool to connect to my friends and colleagues. It is even cost effective if you need to communicate to your overseas friends or overseas colleagues.

Yet, it is also troublesome. To me, IM tool is kind of distracting especially when I am in my work. People using IM tool expect you reply quickly. Therefore I need to distract from my work and reply even though I am focusing on critical tasks.

Furthermore, IM is one of the tool facilitating gossip. I trust the amount of gossip and number of colleagues using IM is positive related.

Same motto: “there is no right or wrong with IM as communication tool, it is just how do you use it in your daily life. How do you control yourself in leveraging the tool's benefits without over-usage.

Asia World Expo

Apprentice

Veronica , David Trump’s daughter mentioned how his father chooses his apprentice in the last week of Apprentice series. Trump pick his apprentice base on:

• Solid character
  
• Tough character
  
• Integrity
• Passion

Integrity is the most important element. In my younger days, I tend to think integrity is sort of common sense and something serious. It's about respecting the law, guidelines and principles of professional associations. Just like when I sit for CFA examination, there is a module called "Ethics" and basically tested our knowledge on the guiding principles being a financial analyst. But now, my mind changed quite a bit. Integrity is a bit more than respecting the law or the guideline. Integrity is also about my personal respect to my work, my associate and my company. It is also about our professional attitude on our work. How do we take our responsibility and face failure without blaming other colleagues, saying that it’s their problem and not my oversight? How do we escape from project and pretend to be sick? How do we spend our time in every day - working hard or pretend to work hard while creating gossips and politics around? There is no ICAC and no SFC governing these deeds but our integrity and consciences standards count.

Meeting Styles

Some people will like to contribute and get involved in the meeting. They are willing to listen and interact. Some people like to sit quitely and watch the show. They do not want to get involved as it may mean more responsibilites or may offend others. It is not my business. Some people may have split personalities. They will speak up when there are senior managers presented, while keep silent when no senior managers there. Some may join part of meeting that are related to them and some may choose to stay and participate throughtout the meeting. Some prefer to interact with PDA, mobile phones or personal notes and some may choost to stay alert throughout the meeting even though it's not my business. Some prefer to walk away immediately after the meeting and some will stay to follow up and want to make the next meeting better. Some prefer to dominate and lead the meeting while some prefer to follow passively.

Which types of style do you belong to when you are in the meeting?

Google Record Strong Growth in Q3

Google announced its Q3 profit double to US$7 billion, with sales increased over 70% compared with Q2. Google.com and Google News brings in revenue US$16 billion, with Y-Y increase over 80%. Total revenue reached $US26 billion. It breaks the rumor that Google Ad business is going to saturate. This year Google allocate additional development expenses on new software, multimedia ads, movie and printing business.

Details

Hong Kong Squash Open 2006

Hosted at Hollywood Plaza shopping mall today. It's full and exicting! We've seen the world champion playing Live!

Teset

Learn to Negotiate

It is not easy to be a good negotiator. My boss has taught me some important principles:

1. Be confident with ourselves and our company!
We’re working in a very prestigious company. During negotiation process, our belief may be weakened but we need to reassure our values. Never be little!

2. Always set a high position!
You may end up get a lower target, but not the bottom one if your target is high enough.

3. Negotiate for the interests of our company! Never give in easily

4. Protect our company interests (and away from risks)

5. Clean up any unnecessary and unclear terms in legal contract

Learn to keep quiet

There is time for voice out and time for silence. I need to learn to keep silence in meeting. Learn to talk and present in a sensible way, especialy when it is others' projects and deliverables.

Writing a Blog

Guy Kawasaki has some tips for blogger who want to increase the traffic to his or her blog:

• Imagine there is a group of viewer (in certain attributes and characteristics)
• Write for them

Sorry! I do not have any interest to increase my blog traffic, I am writing here just to

• Capture my thoughts, especially those are strgguling in my brain pipeline
  
• Memorize happy and unhappy moments
• Consolidate my learnings
• Share my feelings, update and photo with my friends

So don't blame my blog for too personal and no IT industry news or trends. Just hope you enjoy reading and know who I am.

Childhood Experience

I’ve joined a communication workshop on Friday. The coach mentioned our characters are pretty much defined in our childhood at age 3-4.

The coach mentioned her friend is an amiable-type person because he used to live a small apartment with 5 brothers and sisters together. His parents kept reminding him be considerate and not to make too much noise and it will affect other people. That was one of the strong foundation elements of his amiable character. He always want to be considerate and cannot make quick decision.

I try to recall my childhood experience, which I have little memory indeed. With my parent’s pushy, dominant and controlling characters, my elder sister and me develop a contrasting and unique type of independent driving character, mixing with analytical minds to figure out what is right and wrong by myself, whereas my brothers are relatively more passive and amiable. Most people will be surprised to know that I am not the eldest one but the last little child in my family.

Benefits come with costs. There is always the other sides of the coin, Right? Our strengths are our weaknesses. My driving style means I am impatient with slowness my task oriented personality and did not exercise much people skills.

There are lots of things to learn today:

• Never attempt to change others
• Remember to learn to speak in French to the French!
• Learn to appreciate others and all the tiny little things around you!

Make it like a habit!

Psychologist said if we keep doing something repeatedly for 21 times, it will become our habit. For example, if we want to wake up earlier, set our alarm clock 30 minutes earlier for 21 days consecutively, this will become our regular habit and we have no hurdle to wake up 30 minutes earlier in Day 22. Indeed, we will wake up 30 minutes earlier even though we forget to set up our alarm clock yersterday night.

Imagine if we put them into habits...

• Develop ourselves to be a better person
• Learn a new language
• Play a music organ
• Write a blog
• Travel to a strange world
• Find a job
• Get to know more friends
• Learn a new subject
• Invest in the stock market

There is no limitation, as long as we have the drive and efforts to make them as our habits! What are your wishes?

Undergraduate Friends

It is just so……good to chat with undergraduate classmates. We have different career paths and the paths may cross and overlap together. It may be a short overlap, yet, we trust each others, we share our thoughts and feelings and we have same aspiration - the commitment to achieve, deliver and succeed. Thanks Clare and Sara for the inspiration and encouragement! Add oil !

How many memory did you carry?

We have so many electronic devices on our bag, right? How many RAM did you carry? Here is my list:

• DOPOD 818Pro: 92MB
• SD Card: 2GB
• iPod Shuffle: 1GB
• USB Drive: 512MB
• IC Recorder: 512MB
• Total: 4.2GB (approx)
  

So amazing, right?

Mandarin Week

This week is bit busy with Mandarin exam preparation. I treated it seriously and have been using the week's lunch time to prepare. I really hope that I could actually take away something, at least memorizing some more vocabulary and pronunciation. As the mandarin class and tennis class complete, I could reschuffle my time schedule to better reflect my new priority in life.

Role of Manager

A competent executive need to be a all-rounded manager in managing tasks and people. Check out any business textbook and will find a long long manage to-do list. To me, the "five" most important tasks are:

(1) Plan for strategy and future development
- It matter most but manager always put aside. It actually relate to the survival of a department and even a corporate.

(2) Ongoing management by setting clear targets and monitoring progress
- It is the traditonal role of a manager managing projects, but in essense managing the performance of the teams.

(3) Make decision (and problem solving)
- A manager have to make decision and solve many problem everyday. He or she can rely on limited information to make the business decision in most of the day. In essence, he or she need to build a team with business judgement to provide recommendation or to provide analysis to the problem.

(4) Communicate with senior management, stakeholders, internal teams and external departments or customers
- Communication skill is the most important skills to deliver the sales message, manage politics, motivate staffs and resolve conflicts.

(5) Team building and motivation
- At the end of day, a manager need to be supported by his / her team. How to delegate the tasks to the right persons? How to drive his / her team? How to manager his / her people?

Marcus Buckingham “First Break all the Rules"

I have purchased the book “First Break all the Rules” – What the World’s Greatest Managers Do differently by Marcus Buckingham in the Book Expo 2006. I haven’t started reading it but caught by the book review on SCMP last week. Buckingham has done extensive research with Gallup Organization in the last 25 years. Some snapshoot insights are worth to mention here:

The brightest and best managers distinguish themselves in terms of their discipline, focus, trust, and above and beyond all other characteristics, their willingness to individualise.

Simplicity, frequent interaction, focus on the future and build the foundations for self tracking a successful performance management routine, which should be followed on a regular basis. However, the routine should be simple and frequent. This helps you define the right outcomes, focus on strengths and help each person find the right fit.

A performance management routine is extremely important, not only for the performance of works and contributions to the company, but also to our own development. Are we a better manager today than yesterday?

What do you regret most?

Once upon a time, three university graduates started their first job in the same pubic institution. Few years later, one young man left because he could not stand his manager’s working style. Another young man left a few years later. The last young man continued to work in the same public institution.

Another few years gone, the three young men gathered together to share their experience. The first young man went into a private business and now working as the general manager or the company. The second young men quit and started his own business. The third young man were still staying in the public institutions, regretting that he should not get satisfied with the stable monthly salary earned in the first few years.

Many people look upon high and stable income when starting their career, expecting promotion with higher salary and benefits when times move on.

Without pressure, one will stay in the comfortable world, not willing to pay the efforts to stand up, walk outside and move forward. Pressure is the best motivating factor to drive one to grow and move forward.

We have to put in extra efforts if we want to achieve more. Some people choose to have fun, rest and sleep, while some choose to work harder and better. We have to be responsible for ourselves. It is our perspectives limited our development, not companies nor boss.

“Quoted from article shared by my friend”

Yamaha Shop at Tokyo ヤマハミュ?ジック東京　銀座店

Just by chance see the Yamaha shop at Tokyo Ginza. It is a memorable experience to see so many expensive guitars on the display. Can’t imagine, the Yamaha GC41 worth Yen$1.4M, almost HK$100K. Of course, I do not have the chance to touch these expensive musical equipments. They’re just siting peaceful on the window showcase.

Tokyo Tour 2006 Photo

Click here to browse my memory. I didn't bring my DSLR but just a snap shoot camera.

活著

遇著什麼煩惱，想跟我說都可聽到。翻到有趣圖畫，何妨大笑。讓妙事亦被我看到。遊玩時開心一點，不必掛念我。來好好給我活著，就似最初。仍然在呼吸都應該要慶賀。如果想哭，可試試對嘉賓滿座。說個笑話紀念我。

Tokyo Tour 2006

It is a nice and enjoyable experience for 5-days Tokyo trip. No work, no project, no call. Just relax, eat and play. It is just like a dream, full of fantasy but not enough time. I have a very peaceful sleep and beautiful dreams every night. For our friends, the trip means a bloody shopping trip, "Agnes B", "Bluberry", "Porter", "Two Percent" etc... Looking at their luggage photo at Tokyo Narita Internaional Airport before checking in!

Management and Leadership

Business leader need to provide the direction for the team to pursue. At the same time, leader need to "give up" the desire to control and let the team experts to drive and explore the best way to achieve the target results. By delegating the power of decision to the team, the leader actually help to build a strong execution team (which has the direct field experience) and free up himself to continue to shapern the strategic direction.

We've got a handful of sand if we keep holding tight, we've got the whole world by letting the hands off. " Quoted from the Movie "Croaching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"

三越鞠躬謝幕

【明報專訊】開業25載的銅鑼灣三越百貨昨正式向港人道別，時鐘搭正晚上7時50分，董事長萩野純司與幾位職員到門前90度鞠躬，其後大閘拉下，為在港的日資公司畫上句號。

「只剩兩小時，?就買埋，不要多想，無時間了。」售貨員傾力推銷，摩肩接踵的市民落力「入貨」﹕「我怕我落了下層上不到來」、「嘩，完全動不到……」

警衛準時6時在大門鎖上鐵鏈，但顧客並無去意，「各位顧客，公司經營了25年，到今天結業，多謝大家一直以來的支持，我們將重臨香港……」店內響起廣播，但一小時後，地庫還有幾十人「流連」，但職員沒有催促他們離開。

售貨員指顧客昨天特別豪爽，但與一般大減價不同的，是店內店外都人頭湧湧，不少市民及職員在門外拍照留念，連公司董事長萩野純司亦整日「（相）機不離手」，「把這一刻拍下來，除了公司需要，我自己也要留念……在三越工作的38年來，15年是在這間分店……這是我的商店，對我來說，很珍貴。」他指總公司未決定於哪一區「捲土重來」，但為答謝員工，他將於9月19日和全體職員晚宴。
(明報) 09月 18日 星期一 05:05AM

My Mandarin Class

This is my Mandarin Class, featuring my friend Cindy and another classmates talking in mandarin publicly. It is of great fun and learning. We have good teacher Ms Yung and good classmates. Yet, the class is going to completed in early October and given the demanding schedule (twice class for every week, each class last for 2 hours), I am thinking to take a break in the coming quarter before the next intake. Yet, the break means that I will spend the night time to study mandarin on my own. Add oil!

Tennis Course

Thanks God! It’s a lovely and sunny Sunday. It is hot and exhausting to have tennis in the sunny afternoon. Time go quickly. My tennis racket was purchased on 28 March 2006. I’ve joined my first tennis class at YMCA Kingspark a few days later. It’s the last day of our beginner’s class. And indeed it’s the second beginner’s class as I’ve joined the same class following same coach “Paul” for consecutive courses, almost half year. It is a nice experience and I’ve realized there is no easy shortcut to learn to play a sport. We all have our own habits and limitation that we need to control. In my case, I always kick the ball “too high” and step back after kicking the ball. Looking forward for next round of tennis course, and it will be a private training.

Identity

British Novelist William Boyd is working on his new novel near year. It’s about the loss of identity, but that’s forced on you. “What happens when you lose your credit cards, your home, everything?” This is actually a very excellent theme. In modern society, our identity is defined by our external possessions, our work titles, and our relationships with our family, friends, co-workers. What if we loss all of these possessions and relationships? Who am I then?

Take a Break

First time to remove tooth at dentist, and enjoy the luxury of a day of rest and sleep at home

Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair 2006

Last Sat I have visited Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair. Indeed I have been rushing between CEC and Wu Chung Building for this week to conduct survey with the participants of Watch & Clock Fair.

My friends may be surprised to know that I have been visiting every TDC trade shows during weekend (“non-office hour”). Some may say that I spoil the weekend. I find it very rewarding to visit the trade shows although I am not responsible for organizing exhibition. While it is related to my company’s business, it is not related to my daily work and project directly, but I did enjoy visiting these trade shows.

I learn more about this industry by reading the fair daily and brand name gallery booklet, looking at the products and chatting with the exhibitors.

I have chances to talk to our customer face to face directly. Some knowledge is actually hidden inside the fair ground and you need to find them out. Slowly and slowly, I am accumulating my knowledge and perspective on the sourcing industry.

If I am not working in TDC, I virtually have no opportunity to visit these specific industry trade shows. I am looking forward to visit the Electronic Fair in October this year!

In memory of 911

(via today’s New York Times)

New Compact Flash

Finally I have made up my mind to buy a new 2GB compact flash card for the coming trip. I have used 2.2GB micro-drive, 256 MB compact flash and a mobile hard disk. Micro –drive offer huge capacity but slow access speed, while additional mobile hard disk means additional equipment to carry with. I always want to buy a new compact flash card but wait until the last moment of my holiday. You know, the price of hardware drop every week.

This is my Kingston 2GB Ultimate 133X. It is just so nice that Kingston is so creative and put in a very beautiful picture on it. It is no longer a brand-centric memory card, but a very pretty image carries around with me. What’s more Kingston offers free “Ontack EasyRecovery Professional 6.1 software that can recover JPEG, TIFF and Raw image data. Given the access speed and lifetime warranty and all soft of bonus, I turn away from my favorite brand Sandisk. Sandisk Ultra II can offer up to 50X access speed.

A good marketing technique, who say that we always need to put our “corporate brand” on the memory card? Why can’t it be a lovely picture?

Yeung Xue Fei Private Guitar Concert

Tuesday is a great day for me, it is my first time
- to leave office so early at 6:00
- to join the private guitar performance concert
- to sit so near to the performance artist and hear her live guitar music
- to get the autograph signature by the performance artist.

It is my great honor to get caught with the Yeung Xue Fei private guitar performance poster at Tom Lee Music last week. Yeung Xue Fei is one of the youngest and gifted classical guitarists in the world. She has great skills and play really well with passion and emotion.

She played four tunes on Tuesday night and it was a memorable experience to me. It is very impressive and touching. The tunes are so smooth like a stream of water flow along the river. Her skills are outstanding with unique style and beat.

Yeung Xue Fei is a legend in classical guitar history, with her gifted talents but an amateur guitar. The story started with her childhood where she started playing guitar at school at age 7. Yet, she could never afford to buy “expensive” guitar as her family is not rich. Many musicians were touched by her music and willing to give her a better concert grade guitar. The story repeat again and again with a Spanish guitarist sent her a Spanish guitar through the Spain embassy in Beijing, a famous Japanese handcraft guitar manufacturer Masaru Kohno brought her to his factory and ask her to pick whichever guitar she like. In 1995, John Williams left his Smallman guitar to his friend in Hong Kong after his concert (for the opening of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre) and asked him to bring it to her. The Smallman guitar is a treasure and open new possibility and rooms for Yeung Xue Fei to express her music. Not until 2003 can Yeung Xue Fei afford to buy her own Smallman guitar!

I am looking forward to hear Yeung Xue Fei’s guitar concert again, but may need to wait until 2008.

More about Yeung Xue Fei Guitar Story

Yeung Xue Fei latest CD “Romance de Amor"

Passion

What is life? What do we want? That’s by far the most difficult, fundamental and philosophical questions in human. Some may say “money”, “love”, “happiness”, “career” or “family”. Health is for sure the most important element and the passion come right next under on the list. Passion is the drive and belief that you had with in your mind regarding to your life, career, relationship and even everyday tiny little things.

Without passion, we will not have any motivation to wake up and go foreword everyday, we will not have the drive to wake up and come back to work everyday, we will not have the motivation to come back home and care our family everyday and we will just keep complaining everyday…
.....“Why it is like that? That’s not fair!”
.....“How come I work in such a terrible company?”
.....“Why I need to work so hard while all my colleagues go home punctually?”
.....“Why boyfriend / girlfriend is such an asshole?”
.....“How come he / she treat me this way?”

With passion, we will strive to pursue what we want, and determined enough to overcome whatsoever obstacle in front of us. Our passion is our motivation and weapon to drive us to pursue our direction and outcome. The passion is in us, it is the FIRE that deeply rooted in our soul. The spark is there. We cannot buy it or trade for it. With skills and experience, the spark will fly up the chimney and light up the world.

Guy Kawasaki is the most influential entrepreneur that I aspire and look upon. He is a renowned evangelist in Apple Computer in launching the famous “Apple II” in 1984. In his book “Selling the dream”, one of my favorite book, he said “Evangelism means convincing people to believe in your product or ideas as much as you do, by using fervor, zeal, guts and cunning to mobilize your customers and staff into becoming as passionate about a cause as you are.” Evangelism is about passion, the passion to believe in your ideas and to sell it to the world. It may be a “Dream” by Martin Luther King, or a “song” by John Lennon, or simply a dish cooked by me tonight.

I always look at my career not as an e-commerce specialist or web project manager, but a product development evangelist, where I am responsible to create the product for customers. Do I still have the spark in my heart to move on?

My Soci So

20 Aug was my friend Patrick’s birthday. I've invited my Sociology Society comrades to gather at my house to celebrate with him. It was a happy and cozy Sunday. We all have so many appointments and obligations and therefore difficult to squeeze the time to come out together, in such a big group of people. It was so interesting to hear Winnie’s experience to local “spa and sauna” shop. It was also exciting to hear Zoe’s business trip experience around Asia. Even Julian could join us with MSN messenger! Feel free to say anything and we all are here listening carefully. I treasure the friendship and emotional bonding.

I have invited them to come to my house 10 years ago. Time goes so fast. I am looking forward for next gathering!

My silent guitar

This is my “latest” baby at home, my Yamaha Acoustic Guitar “SLG100N” The SLG stand for “Silent” and “N” stand for nylon string. Another model is SLG100S means steel string silent guitar. You can just play it silently with headphone as it does not equip with the side hole or thick body of traditional guitar.

I used to live “alone” after my elder sister married two years ago. I can play guitar anytime I like, after work or at night. However, once get married it will mean a different and new life where I need to be considerate about my other half’s feeling and living habits. I do not want to create so much “noise” and so I think I should consider buying a “silent guitar” where I can play anytime, when she is watching television or she is sleeping sweetly.

There is not much this type of “classical guitar” in the market. For sure there are electrical guitars and acoustic guitars but seldom can you find a “electrical classical guitar”. Mixing the word electrical and classical seems ironical and contradictory. Finally I find the Yamaha SL100N. Yet, the Yamaha Silent Series is not cheap and I hesitate to pull out my money, even though I have been tempting every week at Tom Lee Music showroom. It was such a great time when I discovered Tom Lee Music offer 20% off discount for specific music organ in Easter Promotion, and SLG100N is one of them. It is the most expensive guitar at my home now. It can produce "concert" grade sound. I really enjoy it playing “silent” as it just like holding and talking to your beloved one silently. Indeed I can play with it continuously for an hour. It’s now one of my two favorite guitars at home.

SLG100N at Yamaha Website

Google CEO Joins Apple Board

So Google will not launch its own music service anymore? …its CEO is now on the board of the biggest digital music company around: Apple Computer. Total number of directors on Apple’s board to eight, including Apple CEO Steve Jobs and Al Gore. Schmit said“Apple is one of the companies in the world that I most admire... I’m really looking forward to working with Steve and Apple’s board to help with all of the amazing things Apple is doing.”

Google and Apple haven’t really worked on any major project together, but do compete on the online video market. Actually the unofficial alliance between Google and Apple will be the nighmare to Microsoft, which is weak in all business areas , except operating system and desktop computer application. Microsoft is the market follower in paid per click advertising, search engine and multimedia. Let’s keep watching if there will be new ideas and sparks coming from Apple-Google.

More news

Blindness

Blindness is my introduction to Saramago. I've seen the drama by Hong Kong Repertory Theatre based on the book "Blindness" by Jose Saramago, the Portuguese writer. Though he'd won a Nobel, I'd never heard of him, which comes as no surprise as I've read only about a few Nobel winners. The drama is actually horrible but touching and inspiring. I've got some many thoughts in my mind and need some time to figure out. Some of the concepts include:

"The city is bleeding"
"To see or not to see"
"Vision or perception with the eyes"

Reference Link:

Blindness at Amazon

Blog sharing

Jose Saramago at Wikipedia

A break in the weekend

It's a relax weekend. I took this photo at Starbucks Coffee at IFC Hong Kong station, watching people hurrying for flight and enjoying my comic. This is a typical Eugene’s life, a coffee and comic book. By looking at people rushing here and there, reading the local magazines and comics, you will have a feel of what is going on in this city and what is in people's top of the mind. I believe the City is a being, has its own dynamic way of living. The City is constructed with modern building, twisted media and artifacts, and most importantly, the human.By observing the popular culture and the collective behavior, you will enjoy staying in this city, yet fearing you will lose your minds and directions here.

Lucky Kid

Look at the piano, it is just so grand and manificent. I am waiting to attend my private guitar class at Tsim Sha Tsui Tom Lee music tonight. I always think the “practice” or “training” piano is just "so-so" average grade piano, never think it will be so grand. For some reason I don't have the chance to learn music in my childhood. What a pity. A child is going to enter this room to attend his piano class. How lucky is he!

Missing the days in Microsoft

I need to go to Tai Koo city for a morning meeting on Friday. I've arrived half hour earlier and got the precious time to buy a cup of coffee and sat comfortably on the sofa of the coffee shop. Tai Koo city is special to me. My first job is doing marketing at Microsoft, located at Tai Koo city. I still remember how many nights we stayed at company, working hard for marketing activities and seminars. The Microsoft colleagues are now my closest friends because we worked together, sharing the happiness and pressure of the work.

When we grow up, we become protective. We focus only on our own work. I miss my colleagues in Microsoft, and I miss the work environment and culture that we work together cohesively for the same common goal and solve the problem ahead, not separating by team function, projects and personality.

I miss the young and green Eugene, who has passion, commitment and enthusiasm on daily work.

Turning the world around!

Today is the mandarin examination. I've got limited time to study. Imagine how much study time I‘ve got, given leaving office late and sleeping earlier as got cold this week, the examination is going to be tough and demanding. We always have a choice, don’t we? I have choosen to face it the other way. I ve wroten up an interesting speech for the assigned topic " Your view on friendship ", everthing become funny and full of laughter. Sometimes by twisting around, the world can be different!

生命中的落花流水

看?朋友的Blog，?得很有意思，特意?下...

昨天，上週，前週…….不約而同地，認識了一些新朋友，也跟一些舊朋友談過。各有各的煩惱，各有各的苦況，有些是感情的，有些是工作的，也有是金錢上的。其實自己亦有相似的苦惱，但最近只要聽到這歌，便不會再那麼執著了。

我的想法是：好好的享受今天，努力去改變自己的心境。抬頭看看天，兩手一舉，大叫一聲，其實沒有什麼事真的解決不了。世間一切事情，就如流水行雲，落花流水，不停變化。人能做到的就是隨著其中的變化，去找到生活的樂趣，不論你信不信神，有些事情上天是知道的，懷著信念，默默去做，始終會有雨過天清的一天。你並不孤單的。

雖然明天可能會下雨，但今天陽光普照啊。何不出去走走享受一下呢？

I am a "Blue" person

Thanks my company and my boss giving me the chance to attend the “Positive Influencing and Negotiation” workshop. There are lots of skills and learning. The role play, group negotiation and tri-party negotiation tactics are excellent. I have learnt a lot from the workshop.

In particular, the coach suggestes that people can be classified into 3 styles “Red”, Blue” and Green” based on one’s motivation driving factor. Red is result oriented where he/she will drive for results and success. Blue is relationship oriented where he/ she will care about other feelings. Green is rational oriented where he/she will focus on fact / data analysis and problem solving. I used to think that I am “Red” and “Green” person, where I am aggressive enough to drive things to get done and use data and analysis extensively. Yet, in reality I am a “Blue” person. I am a highly sensitive person, sensitive to my own feelings and everyone around me; despite sometimes I pretend I don't care. I may not speak much but I can feel and sense hidden emotion. I am always overloaded with friends’ problem and emotion and even did not spare enough time to reinforce my inner strengths. I am easily get hurt and always at a down side to live along with “Red” people. I feel much better and relax inside the circle of “Blue” people.

It is good to attend workshop not only skipping one day’s work but also learn new skills and know myself more. I need to develop more “Red” skills to be a comprehensive and all rounded human.

Food Expo 2006

I've visited food expo last sat. It's my first time to visit such a hot fair. Many and many people queue for free dishes and drinks. Amazing!!! That's why my friend tell me not to wear sandal, otherwise you will get lots of chopsticks in between your toes.

Many people carry bags and boxes of discounted foods and drinks back home. Instead, my wife and me buy a small bag of Korean 'pop' biscuit to share with our friends at night. Food is for sharing and fun. I treasure the friendship that we share, and not the pricing discount of the food.

What is your priority in life?

I would like to take a day off to see my dentist to remove my wisdom tooth. unfortunately, I am just too busy with meeting, hardly can I take a day off in the comin week. Indeed, I have been working on sat and sun. That remind me of the movie 'cast away', where Tom Hanks was just too busy with work and never spare time to see his dentist. When Tom Hanks stayed on the desert island after flight crash, he start to rethink about his life. All his priority changed! He managed to pull out the painful teeth by himself. That is a painful and also ironical experience. What is the most important element?

Eugene, what is your priority in life?

Comfortable Clinic

I am sitting in my dentist clinic. It doesn't look like a clinic, right? Comfortable and cozzy, just like a warm home. I am going to have my tooth operation and time to get some rest.

Perspective

Depends on which view you take, the whole world can be totally different. We always want to change the world to fit our ways of living. At the end of the day, you may not be able to change the world but you still can change how you look at the world. There is no true or false in reality. There is no reality at all. It is our own perception – own unique way to see how the world formulate and how incident make sense to us.

Of course, from sociological point of view, our perception is distorted with class structure and ideology...

Saw the kids learning to play inline hockey at YMCA. So interesting to see everyone trying to balance their body and motion. They must be the new comers.

Some people may say, learning a sport is to capture the skils and expertise. Just like you play inline hockey, you may need to control your body, balance your motion and kick the ball. Yet I believe, it is even more important to learn to accomodate your team-mates strength and weakness, leading and complementing together to drive for a common goals. It is not easy to drop one's ego, in view of a bigger goal, right?

I've visited Mongkok on Sat. Some mini shopping mall started to change and renovate to be a 'toys and collectable mall' .To my surprise, I've found a new toy shop which feature all Keroro gifts and characterers exclusively. It was so exciting. Can't believe, the first time I've seen Keroro shop just like "hello kitty shop"around. Can't wait to see the Keroro movie :-)

Some social sciences expert say that there is a rise 'kidults' amongst the middle class, are you one of them?

提得起 放得下


聖嚴法師認為人可分為三種： 即是提不起、放不下；提得起、放不下；提得起、放得下， 第三種人是真正可擔負大責任，心地坦然； 而從佛法的觀點來看， 因果關係是必須提起的，而必須放下無常的因緣， 唯有放下過去老舊的觀念，才能包容新的事物， 放下是為了進一步再提起。
■ 聖嚴法師


現今社會到處有著問題，就是因為我們的社會正在變動的緣故。當我們的身體在跟著社會脈動而在動的時候，還要保持心不動，是件很難做到的事。如何能在動中取靜，一方面須有正確觀念的指導，另一方面還要有踏實的修行工夫。以下我們就來談如何「提得起放得下」。

一、人分三類

我通常將人分為三類：

（一）提不起、放不下：芸芸眾生中最多此類的人。沒有擔當，不願負責，貪 求享樂，卻又放不下名利的追逐。

（二）提得起、放不下：此種人有擔當、有進取、有能力。可是，一旦要他將到手的名位及權勢放下時，卻又捨不得。其實在我們的生命過程中，絕不可能一直是平步青雲、年年高升；有時也如登山，沿途是崎嶇不平，有起也有伏。因此，只能升而不能降的人，終將引起心理上的不平衡而痛苦不堪。

（三）提得起、放得下：此種人有擔當、有能力，可負大責任，心地坦然。由於大眾及現實環境的需要，隨時可出馬；當大環境的情勢改變時，隨時可以放下，毫不眷戀，且更有寬廣的胸襟，隨時迎接另一個階段的新發展。世間上能做到這種境地的人畢竟有限。
例如：台北市長的職位在市民的心目中非常重要、崇高，但當市長的也不可能當一輩子，如果擔任了「市長」職位便捨不得放下，就沒有辦法有更高層次的提起了。 接著我們講佛教對「提得起放得下」的觀念。

二、從因到果的因果關係是必須提起的

若想獲得豐收，就必須勤於播種。然而播種以後，不見得都能得到結果。例如：昨天有位先生來見我並埋怨說：「師父，我這一生做了許多善事，可是我卻得不到好的果報，縱然得到也是少得可憐。 請問師父，我還要繼續做好事嗎？」我告訴他：「世俗『善有善報』的觀念固然不錯，但種善因不見得收到善果，就好比一棵開滿桃花的桃樹，最後結成果實的又有多少？

因此，不見得每一朵花都能結果實，而結了果實的也會有大小不一、甜澀有別的情形。就如同在我們的生命過程中不可能事事如意，總有一些違逆之事，所以有因不一定有果，但是欲得結果又必定要種因。我們更應該有『種瓜不一定得瓜，種豆不一定得豆』的心理準備，才能坦然地生存，不斤斤計較種瓜一定要收成，否則一有收成的企望，則可能大失所望而痛苦不堪了。」

三、聚散無常的因緣關係是必須放下的

人的聚散離合，都是基於種種因緣的關係。有恰到好處的因緣，便可能展現出好的結果；如果在進行過程之中摻入一些不順利的因素，將導致各種不如意的事情。因此，在人的生命過程中，很少可能有「事事如意」的好運，通常都是在接受折磨之中向前邁進。 請問在座的長官之中，是否有人一直是風平浪靜，而未受到過任何困難和波折的呢？ 我這一生也都是在各種的磨難中走過來，每當我面臨困難時，並不逃避它，而是希望改善它。如果已經盡力尚無法改善，也不立即放棄，但要暫時擱置。因為一切現象的發生，均各有其因緣，並不是僅憑一人的勤惰及意願所能掌控的。 凡事必須努力，但也不得強求。若明因緣的道理，就會知道能提即提，當放則放了。

有很多自信心非常堅固的人，樣樣都自以為高人一等，凡事都認為只要肯努力，終必達成目標。這種人除非是深具大福德、大智慧，否則僅依靠個人的力量，不仰仗他人的助緣而有成者，畢竟少見。無論如何，欲成就任何一椿事，都必須仰仗眾多的因素互相配合方能成就。

我也經常聽到有人這麼說：「今天台灣佛教之所以興盛，是因為有某幾位法師大力弘揚的關係。」其實這種說法未必正確，這幾位法師在數十年前都已經在台灣，同時還有老一輩非常有名的法師也極努力地弘揚佛法，卻沒有將正信的佛法推廣到社會上每一個角落去。為什麼？因為今天的經濟條件、政治因素以及社會結構等等已和以前不同。也可以說，因為現在的社會需要佛教，所以就有幾位法師配合社會風氣運作推動。

如果是二、三十年前，台北市政府根本不可能邀請和尚前來演講。也正因為現代人的觀念願意接受佛法，所以這幾位有名的法師就因應社會的需求而出現了，此即所謂「時勢造英雄」，因緣就是如此。既然是因緣促成，就不能過於「突顯」自己，因為「突顯」自己，必然是將別人「壓下」。表面上好像全是仰賴自己的努力，其實，若無社會其他各種因素的配合，個人有大成功的可能不大。 在我們的社會上，也有一些人，並不十分努力而有大成就的。這好比「孔明借箭」，孔明是借曹操之實力而用到了曹操的箭。可見個人事業上的成功，總是不能離開他人的助緣，因此，首先須將自我的自負心放下。