Some words of motivation, to reach greater heights.
If at first you do succeed, try something harder.
Ann Landers, 1918-2002
Month: August 2005
Was at the farewell party for a German intern student recently. He had been attached to our lab for close to 6 months and this was his first trip to South East Asia. During the gathering, he mentioned a number of amusing and somewhat memorable incidents of his brief stay in Singapore.
Perhaps because I am already very Singapor-ised, or simply because I am familiar with a number of Chinese dialects, I must admit such incidents rarely happen to me, even from my first days in Singapore. Well, here is one which clearly stuck in my head.
Bob Carr, the premiere of the State of New South Wales in Australia for many years, has recently resigned his post. He spent his last afternoon as Premier teaching teenagers the art of speechwriting, the importance of joining a political party and the downbeat truth that life is never perfect.
Some things he said really struck a chord with me.
Never be afraid of pitfalls: “Make as many mistakes as possible – make a fool of yourself, and out of that, make something of yourself.” Furthermore, avoid striving too hard for excellence: “Life’s a reversal – a rough cut. Nothing’s ever perfect. If it is comfortable enough, that’s probably as good as it’s ever going to be.”
When I saw the title of the most recent WXPnews e-zine, I was kind of shocked! Is technology progressing so quickly that I am already out-dated?? I mean, I use emails for work, for keeping contacts with family and friends, as well as for social arrangements. However, it is interesting, as mentioned in the article, to observe that different age groups seem to have preferential modes of communication, where speed of delivery seems to be the key – my own conclusion. Does this mean we live in such a fast-paced world that everyone – the younger generation specifically – wants to have instant gratification!? Bit of a worry if it is indeed the case.
Photos from my recent Japan trip are finally on line! Accounts from this trip will also be up on my travels page shortly – once I find the time to edit the brief notes I had written along the way… 🙂