Steve Jobs once said: "Computers are like bicycles for our minds"
I never had an iMac, iPod, iPhone or an iPad, but I have the highest respect for the positive change that he has introduced to technology and how we communicate today.
His death came as a shock to me. I knew that he was battling cancer, but I never expected him to leave so soon. On Oct 5th 2011, the world saw a great man, a true visionary in every sense of the word, leave behind a legacy of innovative products, yield of the hard work of a driven great who could see things no one else could. He famously knew what consumers wanted even before the consumers themselves knew.
After his passing on, Steve Job's commencement speech at Stanford in 2005 went viral online and most of you would have probably seen or read it. If not, you have got to.
The 3 stories that he shared are truly inspiring or mind blowing to say the least. It was like fetching water from this great well of inspiration.
"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."
Most of us can probably relate to this, myself included. Very often, we find ourselves trying to live another person's life, doing something we were not born or meant to do. Are we really loving what we do and doing what we love? Having said that, it takes courage to change, a lot of courage. It's always easier said than done, though this inspiring reminder from Steve Jobs just injected new shots of courage.
"Again, you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life."
This reminded me of a similar quote by Paolo Coelho in The Alchemist. Something along the line of if it was meant to be, all the elements of the world will conspire to help you achieve your destiny. It's really part of human nature to sometimes over think matters. The many "what ifs" that we often ask ourselves before a challenge can sometimes hold us down more than we ask for. While it's good to be ruled by the brain, it is also good to always remind ourselves to listen to our heart.
And last but not least,
""If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something"
I always wondered what the i stands for in Apple products. Today, through the life story and ingenious work of Steve Jobs, it might just mean inspiration, at least to me.
Since our six year old desktop recently started flashing us the blue screens of death, both Gwyn and I have been on the look out for a new notebook. Today, we settled for the Macbook Air (my first Apple product), in memory of Steve Jobs. And now I understand why they say that once you go Mac, you never look back.
May we all work towards realizing our destinies and live life to our fullest.
RIP Steve Jobs, You'll be remembered.
Saturday, 8 October 2011
Thursday, 6 October 2011
Pengerang Redux Ride
It's really amazing what cycling can do. It helps you make new friends and it also helps you keep in contact with old friends. Last Saturday was one fine example. We visited Pengerang with a group of my ex-colleagues. Gwyn got to know them, they got to know Gwyn and I caught up with them.
For Gwyn and myself, we didn't seem to get enough of Pengerang the first time round (actually it was because we didn't buy enough Heong Piahs), so last Saturday, we went back for more.
The weather was perfect. It was cloudy but there was no rain.
We arrived in Pengerang at about 930am, cleared customs, unfolded our bikes and got going...
Pengerang is generally a really nice place to cycle. There is little traffic and vehicles usually look out for riders. They actually share the road with cyclists.
We stopped by the kopitiam at Kampong Jawa, 6km from the ferry terminal.
We were there specially for the kampong (happy) eggs...
...but got distracted along the way (btw, it was great nasi lemak)
Food was high up (or the only thing) on our to do list.
Juicy lobsters for lunch followed shortly at SG Rengit...
accompanied by an awesome steamed fish...
Some toufu, vegetables and boneless chicken salad (yeah I know it sounds/looks wierd) to go along with...
Heong Piah! Just as you enter the town of SG Rengit, you'll see this particular stall on your right. This is where you'll find the good stuff. So good, we'll return to Pengerang again just for them.
We also came to realise that one of our riders used to grow up in Pengerang. Her relatives still live there and they were kind enough to show us around their home, an original kampong house.
Here is the kitchen. Notice the simplicity behind the layout.
Came across this huge bucket. Retro! Have you ever showered from such a bucket before?
A classic kampong washroom...
...and a traditional kampong bed setting with mosquito netting...
...Stairway to the upper level that led to the other bedrooms...
Sea view kampong house!
Some run down shophouses along the stretch which used to be busy...
Time flies when you're having fun and before we knew it, it was time to head back towards the ferry terminal.
If there is one thing that we've learned from cycling, it's never to be complacent. Just 2km away from the ferry terminal, one of the tyres went flat. Thank God for the bike mechanic within our midst (definitely not me, I merely pumped air into the tyre), we managed to change tube for a Dahon that none of us had any sort of experience with.
Our total mileage clocked was 42km and it went by like the wind. It was considerably less taxing on our bodies compared with our first Pengerang riding experience 3 months ago. A sign of improvement in fitness we hope.
Maybe next time we can go a bit further up north towards Desaru?
For Gwyn and myself, we didn't seem to get enough of Pengerang the first time round (actually it was because we didn't buy enough Heong Piahs), so last Saturday, we went back for more. The weather was perfect. It was cloudy but there was no rain.
We arrived in Pengerang at about 930am, cleared customs, unfolded our bikes and got going...Pengerang is generally a really nice place to cycle. There is little traffic and vehicles usually look out for riders. They actually share the road with cyclists.
We stopped by the kopitiam at Kampong Jawa, 6km from the ferry terminal.
We were there specially for the kampong (happy) eggs...
...but got distracted along the way (btw, it was great nasi lemak)
Food was high up (or the only thing) on our to do list. Juicy lobsters for lunch followed shortly at SG Rengit...
accompanied by an awesome steamed fish...
Some toufu, vegetables and boneless chicken salad (yeah I know it sounds/looks wierd) to go along with...
Heong Piah! Just as you enter the town of SG Rengit, you'll see this particular stall on your right. This is where you'll find the good stuff. So good, we'll return to Pengerang again just for them.
We also came to realise that one of our riders used to grow up in Pengerang. Her relatives still live there and they were kind enough to show us around their home, an original kampong house.Here is the kitchen. Notice the simplicity behind the layout.
Came across this huge bucket. Retro! Have you ever showered from such a bucket before?
A classic kampong washroom...
...and a traditional kampong bed setting with mosquito netting...
...Stairway to the upper level that led to the other bedrooms...
Sea view kampong house!
Some run down shophouses along the stretch which used to be busy...
Time flies when you're having fun and before we knew it, it was time to head back towards the ferry terminal. If there is one thing that we've learned from cycling, it's never to be complacent. Just 2km away from the ferry terminal, one of the tyres went flat. Thank God for the bike mechanic within our midst (definitely not me, I merely pumped air into the tyre), we managed to change tube for a Dahon that none of us had any sort of experience with.
Our total mileage clocked was 42km and it went by like the wind. It was considerably less taxing on our bodies compared with our first Pengerang riding experience 3 months ago. A sign of improvement in fitness we hope. Maybe next time we can go a bit further up north towards Desaru?
Sunday, 2 October 2011
Bukit Batok PCN Ride and a Sea of Love
Today marked our first ride along the Bukit Batok PCN.
A short briefing was conducted by ride lead, Steve at the start point, West Mall Shopping Centre.
The love for riding was out in full force. The slight drizzle did little to dampen our fiery spirits as we cautiously made our way through the park connector network from West Mall to Bukit Batok Nature Park.
The cliff at the end of the trail was really quite stunning. Here, we performed our ritual TW pose.
To the left! Strangers meet.
To the right! New friendships made.
Freestyle!...
...and then this happened...
A bouquet of flowers popped out from nowhere, Han Boon got down on one knee and proposed to Yvette. Always expect the unexpected for LCSG rides but I think it's fair to say that nobody would have imagined this.
Han Boon had been secretly planning for this with Taiwoon and the secret operation was now in full play. Last night, Gwyn and I were mobilized to find a tune with our Ukes. We were more than happy to play our part in this romantic moment...
If you're wondering how we transported our ukes, here you go. All thanks to our mighty T-Bag.
Congrats to the newly engaged couple, Han Boon and Yvette! Love was all around and both of you just raised the bar for LCSG rides...
No LCSG ride would be complete without the show of love for food as we arrived at Ghim Moh hawker centre for lunch. It's another great place for good food. It's also one of the few hawker centres that I've come across with long queues at almost every stall.
The love for poison followed shortly after at Treknology, off Henry Park. Got myself a pair of "Bob Marley" gloves.
15 bicycles fitted in 1 car park lot.
Tadah!
Love for family was evident throughout. Daddys and their daughters sharing a moment at the playground outside Treknology.
Daddy's girl!
There was some time left for the love for music when we couldn't excuse ourselves in time. Arrows were flying all over in every possible direction and we were caught off guard.
We unofficially announce that Kevin and Gwyn are available for adhoc services for future proposals. And they are not restricted to engagements or marriage. Husbands, if you're thinking about proposing to your wives for permission to get new bikes, we'll gladly help out too!
It was a lovely sunday morning. =)
stunning pictures credited to Taiwoon and Francis
A short briefing was conducted by ride lead, Steve at the start point, West Mall Shopping Centre.
The love for riding was out in full force. The slight drizzle did little to dampen our fiery spirits as we cautiously made our way through the park connector network from West Mall to Bukit Batok Nature Park.
The cliff at the end of the trail was really quite stunning. Here, we performed our ritual TW pose.To the left! Strangers meet.
To the right! New friendships made.
Freestyle!...
...and then this happened...
A bouquet of flowers popped out from nowhere, Han Boon got down on one knee and proposed to Yvette. Always expect the unexpected for LCSG rides but I think it's fair to say that nobody would have imagined this.Han Boon had been secretly planning for this with Taiwoon and the secret operation was now in full play. Last night, Gwyn and I were mobilized to find a tune with our Ukes. We were more than happy to play our part in this romantic moment...
If you're wondering how we transported our ukes, here you go. All thanks to our mighty T-Bag.
Congrats to the newly engaged couple, Han Boon and Yvette! Love was all around and both of you just raised the bar for LCSG rides...
No LCSG ride would be complete without the show of love for food as we arrived at Ghim Moh hawker centre for lunch. It's another great place for good food. It's also one of the few hawker centres that I've come across with long queues at almost every stall.
The love for poison followed shortly after at Treknology, off Henry Park. Got myself a pair of "Bob Marley" gloves.
15 bicycles fitted in 1 car park lot.
Tadah!
Love for family was evident throughout. Daddys and their daughters sharing a moment at the playground outside Treknology.
Daddy's girl!
There was some time left for the love for music when we couldn't excuse ourselves in time. Arrows were flying all over in every possible direction and we were caught off guard.We unofficially announce that Kevin and Gwyn are available for adhoc services for future proposals. And they are not restricted to engagements or marriage. Husbands, if you're thinking about proposing to your wives for permission to get new bikes, we'll gladly help out too!
It was a lovely sunday morning. =)stunning pictures credited to Taiwoon and Francis
Wednesday, 28 September 2011
Geylang East Ride for Good Food
Nestled between Aljunied and Paya Lebar MRT stations is the small, quiet neighbourhood of Geylang East.
It all started last week, after a long day at work, Gwyn and I were in the vicinity, hungry and thinking of dinner. I suggested looking for this Wanton noodles stall at Geylang East hawker centre that I vaguely remembered opens till quite late at night. And the rest like they say is history.
Geylang East hawker centre, hidden gem of the east!
I first tried the wanton noodles from Quan Kee about 10 years ago and prior last week, had no idea if it was still around. Thankfully, it was and it didn't take us long to realise why.
It's the good old classic wanton noodles. Springy noodles, solid wantons and the chilli, second to none. It actually reminds us of another brilliant wanton noodles stall at Havelock Road, which until today remains one of our favorites. This is definitely comparable!
And for only $2.50, it is value for money. And if only smell could travel on cyberspace...
The signage says Jurong West but really, its at Geylang East and they make one heck of a Chicken Cutlet.
For $6, you get a generous serving of cutlet, fries and hot dog. The cutlet was so big that we had trouble focusing on it. (no kidding!)
The best part of the dish is really the heavenly crumbs on the cutlet. It's fresh and amazingly crunchy. There is free flow of chilli at the counter and the uncle is always smiling. All in all, considering all factors as a whole package, we dare say that this is the best chicken cutlet experience that we've ever had in Singapore.
While we were enjoying the good food, it dawned upon us on how bicycle friendly/active this neighbourhood was. We witnessed individuals ride by...
...and couples went by...
An elderly lady came by on her bike...
...to take away wanton noodles! Respect...
Even at the nearby NTUC FairPrice, we noticed how the open space just in front of it acted as a temporary bicycle parking space for riders visiting the supermarket. The cycling culture in this neighbourhood is surprisingly very strong.
Just across the FairPrice is Garden Pastry and Cake Shop...
It sells one of the best curry buns that you will ever find in Singapore. Trust me. It's unlike the typical buns which are 80% bread 20% filling. This is 80% filling 20% bread. You have got to try to believe.
It's got quite a unique shop front and is hard to miss...
After dinner, we rode around the area before crossing an overhead bridge to the Circuit/Pipit Road estate where the cycling culture was equally encouraging. We also realised how peaceful and quiet it was an area to ride.
A huge piece of empty land along Mattar Road...
Riding to dinner is a great way to feel less guilty over what you're eating.
In the aftermath of our quest for good food, we leave you some food for thought: While riding runs on fat and saves you money, cars run on money and saves you fat!
It all started last week, after a long day at work, Gwyn and I were in the vicinity, hungry and thinking of dinner. I suggested looking for this Wanton noodles stall at Geylang East hawker centre that I vaguely remembered opens till quite late at night. And the rest like they say is history.
Geylang East hawker centre, hidden gem of the east!
I first tried the wanton noodles from Quan Kee about 10 years ago and prior last week, had no idea if it was still around. Thankfully, it was and it didn't take us long to realise why.
It's the good old classic wanton noodles. Springy noodles, solid wantons and the chilli, second to none. It actually reminds us of another brilliant wanton noodles stall at Havelock Road, which until today remains one of our favorites. This is definitely comparable!And for only $2.50, it is value for money. And if only smell could travel on cyberspace...
The signage says Jurong West but really, its at Geylang East and they make one heck of a Chicken Cutlet.
For $6, you get a generous serving of cutlet, fries and hot dog. The cutlet was so big that we had trouble focusing on it. (no kidding!)
The best part of the dish is really the heavenly crumbs on the cutlet. It's fresh and amazingly crunchy. There is free flow of chilli at the counter and the uncle is always smiling. All in all, considering all factors as a whole package, we dare say that this is the best chicken cutlet experience that we've ever had in Singapore.
While we were enjoying the good food, it dawned upon us on how bicycle friendly/active this neighbourhood was. We witnessed individuals ride by...
...and couples went by...
An elderly lady came by on her bike...
...to take away wanton noodles! Respect...
Even at the nearby NTUC FairPrice, we noticed how the open space just in front of it acted as a temporary bicycle parking space for riders visiting the supermarket. The cycling culture in this neighbourhood is surprisingly very strong.
Just across the FairPrice is Garden Pastry and Cake Shop...
It sells one of the best curry buns that you will ever find in Singapore. Trust me. It's unlike the typical buns which are 80% bread 20% filling. This is 80% filling 20% bread. You have got to try to believe. It's got quite a unique shop front and is hard to miss...
After dinner, we rode around the area before crossing an overhead bridge to the Circuit/Pipit Road estate where the cycling culture was equally encouraging. We also realised how peaceful and quiet it was an area to ride.
A huge piece of empty land along Mattar Road...
Riding to dinner is a great way to feel less guilty over what you're eating. In the aftermath of our quest for good food, we leave you some food for thought: While riding runs on fat and saves you money, cars run on money and saves you fat!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)