Category Archives: Commentary

Enjoying the Sound of Silence

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Shhh!

Why is it that we must always surround ourselves with noise? Whether it be music or television, it seems we are never truly comfortable unless we have noise around us.  Are you one of those people who instinctively turn on the television (or music) as soon as you get home, not because there is a particular program you want to watch, but just out of habit so there’s some noise in the house?  I don’t know many people who know how to enjoy and appreciate the silence – except perhaps parents with noisy kids and librarians.

There’s a Chinese saying that my parents used to quote whenever we complained about being too hot: when your heart is at peace, you will find coolness.  It’s not an exact quote – that’s just a literal translation.  Basically, all it means is that when you stop running around, being busy and stressed and noisy, you will find peace and stop being hot and bothered.  And to find peace, sometimes you need to have silence.

In November 2010, I went to Vietnam with a couple of friends for a holiday.  It was a wonderful experience for many reasons but one thing that absolutely stands out for me is the traffic and the noise that is part and parcel of that!  Well before my trip, I had already been warned of the traffic and how to cross the road in the city.  Dodging the millions of scooters, cars and people is an art form.  I never thought it could get noisier than Ho Chi Minh City until we got to Hanoi.  After three weeks in the country, I was so happy to be home where traffic is not nearly as crazy (although I have to admit, it was organised chaos) and where I could just sit in peace and quiet.  I did not turn on the television or any music for the rest of the evening after I arrived home.  The silence was sheer beauty!

So, in this busy holiday season, when your heart is full of cheer and goodwill towards mankind (assuming you haven’t beaten up the old lady next to you with your purse in the Boxing Day sales), I would highly recommend you take some time to sit back, relax with a cup of tea or hot chocolate, tune out all the external noise and just listen – to the sounds of birds chirping outside your window, to the rustling of the leaves, or in my case, to the sound of the filter in the fish tank.  Recharge your batteries and get ready to face the busy-ness again!

What Does Christmas Mean To You?

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In just a couple more weeks, it will be Christmas again.  It seems like only yesterday that I was coming home from my travels to Vietnam and Hong Kong last year and getting excited about this special season.  But time does not stand still and yes, it is time for the Santa suits to be taken out of storage and dusted off.  I make no apologies for saying that Santa Claus does not exist.  Neither does the Easter Bunny or Tooth Fairy.

Here’s a multiple choice for you: Christmas – ’tis the season to be

  1. jolly
  2. grumpy

I have heard many people call this the “silly season”.  I suppose it is, in part, due to the incredible lengths some people go to in order to buy gifts for friends and loved ones, and in part due to all the partying and extravagance of the occasion.

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How Do You Make The Most Of A Bad Situation?

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WARNING: This may be my dullest post yet…because it’s not a very funny topic, but it’s perhaps a very timely topic for those in similar situation to me.

When my contract ended last October to go traveling and take a break over Christmas, I thought I would be back in a new job in the new year.  Given past experience, I figured the job market would be slow until late January/early February when people start to return to work from their summer breaks.  So I took it easy.  I talked to a couple of old contacts and told them I would be looking for work soon but didn’t give it too much thought.

I had updated my resumé and I was ready.  I started my online search.  I applied for jobs.  I talked to old colleagues.  I had interviews.  But then nothing happened.  Projects got canned; people got re-deployed (if they were lucky) or retrenched (if they were not); or there were simply more “suitable” candidates (or more desperate).

Whatever the case may be, it’s been a long, tough twelve months without income.

Australia has been pretty lucky that we have managed to avoid the worst of the global financial crisis for the last few years while the US and European countries have been hit hardest, primarily because our economy and financial sector are very highly regulated.  Unfortunately, the downturn has really started to affect us.

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What’s Your Number?

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I wanted to start this post by announcing my birthday 🙂 Yes, happy birthday to me, with a hug and kiss from one of the stars of my favourite TV show White Collar, Tim DeKay 🙂  I have lost count of how many times I have played back this video now – and yes, if you have been reading my blog for at least a year, you will have noticed I got a birthday shout-out from Tim last year, too 🙂 What a lucky girl I am, thanks to two wonderful friends, Julie (in New York) and Carol (in California).

Age is a funny thing.  It is just a number but it means different things to different people.  Some embrace it.  Some are afraid of it.  Personally, I belong to the former category – for as long as I don’t look my age and people don’t expect me to act my age, of course 🙂

When you’re a kid, you can’t wait to celebrate a birthday.  You want to know how old everyone is and you count your birthdays by the month (“I’m five years and four months old!”).  You always want to be older than someone else and there is nothing worse than being “the baby”.  As you hit those puberty blues, you just want to get to your “sweet 16” followed by 18 when you’ll be “legal” and considered an adult – you can drink (unless you live in the US, in which case, you can do just about anything else BUT drink – strange!) and vote.  Then you turn 20 and suddenly you can say you’re not a teenager anymore but I’m not sure why no-one makes a big deal of that.  When you turn 21, that’s another big milestone…a new decade though, strictly speaking, you kick-start a new decade once you turn 20, so again, why don’t we celebrate turning 20 as a big milestone instead of 21? Hmm…

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Forty Pearls of Wisdom And Assorted Observations

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In four weeks’ time, I will be celebrating my birthday, and there’s nothing like being reminded that you’re another year older to make you reflect on the little things in life.

Since I am not one to be backwards in coming forwards, so to speak, I thought I’d share with you some of my little “pearls of wisdom”, if you will.  You may not agree with them but that’s OK. I’ve learnt to accept that I can never please everyone 🙂

These are a mish-mash of things that came to mind but are in no particular order, and by no means an exhaustive list.  However, you can probably guess why I have chosen to list forty 🙂

So here goes nothing!

  1. My mother may not always be right, but she always has my interest at heart.
  2. Family always comes first and will always be.
  3. You can choose your friends but not your family, so it’s best to accept them as they are.
  4. Words are mightier than the sword, so choose yours wisely.  The saying “sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me” is rubbish.
  5. There will always be idiots doing and saying idiotic things. It’s better to ignore them and walk away. Don’t let them ruin your day.
  6. Choose your battles carefully. Some are just not worth the effort.
  7. Look at the big picture but don’t ignore the details
  8. Common sense is not common, otherwise there would be no such thing as planking or the Darwin Awards
  9. It’s not nice to call someone stupid, no matter how much you want to. People do stupid things. There’s a difference.
  10. I believe in God. Having Faith helps get me through the days – good and bad. Continue reading →