A Song to Remember

So I am currently watching "A Song to remember".


Actually I am supposed to study. But I have a toothache, so blankly staring at something is kinda my default mode now.


I visibly told myself not to catch another serial, but damn the toothache (haha I have found my scapegoat w00t!).

Anyways the serial is still in funny mode, so it was amusing. My favourite character is probably 牛奶瓶 (I cannot remember his name).

Julie Tan was fun to watch too, cute and amusing (which is her role at the moment .. I think?)


He (牛奶瓶) gave her two cookies! and then ran for fear that she would ask for the last cookie. That was hilarious, but how often is life like that =)

Any ways the funny part that resonate with me was the dentist that tried to pull out his teeth. My god. The sad part was I think, its still like that with many dentists. My mom got most of her teeth pulled out over time. Every dentist I met (alright not so many just one, but it was a high level one highly recommended by another rather senior personnel), also just took one look and wanted to do surgery on me. I mumbled something and left. (Oh I did'nt lose any teeth in the meantime and that was like a few years ago already)

Only recently did I meet a dentist that tries to save my teeth rather then evict them. And guess what, he was'nt locally trained. wow.


here is a link to some pics of the set, there is even the olden day dentist scene there !


Other interesting titbits about the show: there is a couple acting as a couple in the show. =)

Oh the toothache I am having now? Its not due to decay but heatiness. (I just went to the dentist to check and had a filling so it should have been detected no?) But guess what, going to the dentist and telling him I have a toothache will probably result in an eviction notice =P Even with my current dentist I am sure =P

How do I know it is just heatiness? Its my body, and its reacting differently from before. (Besides, the pain moves. So what, you want to pull my upper molar, then my lower molar, go ahead do it to yourself, but leave mine alone thank you very much =P)But these are things a doctor is unlikely to catch. Much like science is unable to capture the specifics.


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Well its really 20111217 now so I ahve been following the serial for a bit, I actually was'nt too keen on it. The whole Shanghai tan 上海摊 thing does'nt really get me. But Julie Tan is pretty =P *jkjk* (not the pretty part but the reason part =P). I thought it was quite a funny show, and it slowly progresses to be more dramatic and serious perhaps sombre? And it has some nice gems like this one





There are apparently a two versions =)

one by 许美静 and one by 徐亦晴

I was hoping it was Julie Tan's voice but it was'nt =P it was the song and voice that I loved tho so there... =)

Some Like it Hot, Some like it Cold, Some like it in the pot, nine days old...

This is the porridge I have been eating for the past five days =)










Its half eaten, but I figured if I don't take a photo now, it might get more inconvenient to do so in the next few days since I am on leave this week =P





It is called gruel techinically. I guess. But locally its called "choke" (for native english speakers, no it is not literal, just a romantization of the phonics of the dialect)

It has pieces of fried oil stick (called "eww"-"cha"-"kway"), some "chong" (some fragrant vegetable I can't remember the name), strands of ginger, small slices of fish and fried onions. And a raw egg thrown in. Add vinegar and pepper to taste.


Whats there to talk about gruel? =)


....






Well for one I have only started eating it this year. Given that this is at a coffeeshop near my place for the last 33 years, it really did take me quite a while to take a liking to it did'nt it? =P


Well a few things struck me. Fried Onion bits. I really hate the stuff. It always had a very strong taste that I hated. And ginger. I like it to taste, but not bite and chew it as if it were the main. And the gruel itself. Man it used to be that ... the taste is nice, but it get boring and sick after the first ten spoonfuls or so.

What I liked about it in the past? The oil sticks. Thats about it =P


So what made me like it now. Well a few things. I have been ill for a while so I was looking for something plain. The porridge fit the bill. The other thing was I changed the way I ate it. I used to only eat the gruel and only eat the oil sticks. Now I eat everything and I realised what I had been missing. The onion bits and ginger, in a vacuum (i.e. on its own) have a strong taste, but when you eat it with the gruel, you better appreciate what the dish is supposed to taste like. I've been a fan ever since =)


Moral of the story? A few things. Many things in life are there for a reason (especially if its been there for a while), so give it a shot give it a chance, you might just like it and discover something old, something new. =)

Another thing? Look around for things forgotten or forsaken, you might discover something old, something new, something you =)

Oh you want something more? (I did say a few) Somethings cannot be taken in a vacuum. Few things in life are black and white. In context, everything changes.

And I think it applies to so many things in life.

Of course some things are patently bad (no doubt) hence, as with the dish, you need to apply more than one train of thought or rule or doctrine and decide if you want to do something.

As always, due diligence will go a long way. =)

Absolution

Absolution




I had a few occasions to visit this concept recently.


I had a conversation (if you could call it that =p) where we were discussing about when was one considered a failure.

His argument basically went something like this:


If you have defeated yourself, then that is the greatest failure and it is THE END.


The problem I had with that was this:

I am ever the optimist (at least in logic if not deed). Hence, it is never, THE END, because the failure is is not absolute, because one can always step up from failure. My gist was every failure is an opportunity to step up for success. Even in the event where one is self defeatist and gives up. The moment one decides to stand and deliver, that is when the tides change and opportunity for success is created.

Even in my own life if I were to follow my friend's advice, I would be quite a failure. But. I try to change, even when I am depressed, depression, like failure is a state. A phase. It WILL Pass.

We go through many valleys in life, but these valleys are but a shadow of death (this is for Bible readers). Shadows are but the absence of light, and will hence ALWAYS be transient. And for people who know Pastor Phil Pringle, this is some akin to something he said:

FACT: It may be dark now.

TRUTH: These times WILL PASS.


In the end we could not reach an agreement (in the greater scheme of things pride is the bane and the reason for wars and all the pain in this world) and the reason was (aside from pride) : Absolution.


He believed that a failure in self (or a self defeating attitude) is absolute, there is no come back. I cannot believe in that. I hope he does not believe in that for his own sake, but on the flip side I hope he is not trying to propagate such a belief. The latter is the greater evil and there WILL be karma for it =P (not from me, I only express and propagate hope in hopes that others will not be influenced - but cannot stand by and waych him spout rubbish, in the end my closing comments were that THAT opinion is self defeating (of he can get out of it if he wants to ;)))


Now absolution.


What I wish to state is the futility of absolution. And yet the neediness of absolution. For instance, if my belief was truly the better of the two. It is of no use if my friend is the greater in power (be it finance or otherwise). This world is a world enamoured. We are enamoured by power, lust and greed. So in order to be of meaning, one must have power to change. Opinions and beliefs are nothing without the substance to change.

1) It is Good, if your beliefs in absolution have a divine Good associated with it.
2) It is Good, if your beliefs in absolution have a Truth associated with it.
3) It is Evil, if your beliefs in absolution have a divine Evil associated with it.
4) It is folly and possibly Evil, if your beliefs in absolution have no Truth associated with it.
5) It will be respected, if your beliefs in absolution have a power associated with it.
6) It is folly, if your beliefs in absolution have no power associated with it.


But how do we know what is going on in the greater scheme of things? i believe my friend's belief to be foolish and possibly Evil. But my own belief is'nt so great either. On the topic of the End, I believe the End is when you die, then you cannot change things, then you send in your report card and get judged and then go Hell or Heaven or get recycled in Karma ;) But I could be wrong. I am not God. In there and I too an just another fool. But I hope to err on the right side.

Afterall hope is sometimes the only thing left that a person who has lost himself can count on. But then there is also false karma. Perhaps a person needs to be insulted or shocked or angry enough that he will stand to prove other wrong, hence the propagation of evils or untruths serve only to bring out the truth and good in people. So in the greater scheme of things I could be the greater fool.



And that is the sad truth. Unless your knowledge or opinion or power is ABSOLUTE. All else is folly. Hence the message is: In all things, have moderation.



What made me think about this topic:


1) The screening of "Journey To the West" just ended, and the tortoise punished Triptika for forgetting to ask Buddha a question. The following discussions were that. In many ill, intention is important. Triptika had no ill intentions just a moment of forgetfulness. But yet he was punished. Before the event of the old tortoise, the disciple were discussing and "scolding" all the people who did wrong. And Sun Wukong mused that they had been happily childing and judging "evil" but were themselves guilty in the end, even tho the intention was not evil, but the event happen and they were "punished". Note however the message is not, to punish for any iniquity no matter how small, but that one should have compassion and be mercyful where it is possible. This is not about compromise, but about moderation. About not being an absolutionist and blindly following your rules or doctrine (that you belief in)

2) Power. Being an Absolutionist is not something that does not come with rewards. In fact, many times that not absolution brings success and riches, while moderation brings second prize, is seen as weak and has less chance of success. (That view is ,of course, not absolute. Great Pride brings great fall, to scheme [evil] as well as to plan [good] takes foresight forbearance sometimes to do great good/evil things). Often an enterprise or person is not right, but with absolute beliefs, has the drive to follow his plans through. This of course also true, if a person has a good heart, integrity and compassion, he may also have absolute beliefs that carry him through. So Absolution has a place, the question is really what do you have absolution in and how do you know?

3) Ratatouille. Well mouse cook. Anton was rocked to the core. Anton was absolute that not anyone can cook. But was Gustauf moderate or absolute? I believe Gustauf was absolute in his belief, but moderate in expression. The mouse was abolute in his belief. He had two beliefs. One he can cook. Two he can convince Humans rats can cook. I think the rat had absolute belief and expression, but in the end moderated his expectation. It does show case, the benefits of both absolution and modertation.

4) I realise I was also holding an absolute. In my quest to question the absolution of my friend's opnion, I realised I was absolute as well.


And that is the other thing: Is it better to be absolute or moderate in our views? There is no good answer, but I think it is all about what you are absolute about and what you hold in moderation. For views you hold in absolution, pray you are right. For views you hold in moderation pray you too are right =P For all it takes for Evil to rise is for Good men to do nothing. (How do the Good men know they are good anyhow =P)

Good Luck to you in all things and may you have wisdom to hold things that matter in absolution and things that matter in moderation.