Autistic Artist..

Autism may be defined as...
a variable developmental disorder that appears by age three and is characterized by impairment of the ability to form normal social relationships, by impairment of the ability to communicate with others, and by stereotyped behavior patterns

People suffering from autism usually have significant "limitations" (hope I am not being insensitive for using such a word). They need more care/concern/attention/understanding from all of us actually. But there are quite a few isolated cases of immense talent. May I share with you one :

Autistic Artist
(original volume of the clip tends to be a little soft)

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有一位作者这么说：

人，经历了生生世世的轮转，
难免夹杂了许多的习气毛病。
我们不是不想改，而是一直没有彻底地进行，
也没有十足的慧心与勇气。

每每在下定决心，忏悔清净时，
我们也在同时编造很多理由，
来为自己保全身份面子。

就这样，经历了无量岁月，
仍旧是「斩草不除根，春风吹又生。」

Who is Stubborn?

M was saying to me yesterday :
My father is very stubborn. I told him . . . blah blah blah . . . But he never once bother to listen to what I want to say.

But M’s father once (only a few weeks ago) related to me :
This M. Haiz.. You know, he is so stubborn. I had already told him so many times that . . . blah blah blah . . . He simply doesn’t listen.

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Have we been caught in any situation witnessing two parties accusing each other of being stubborn?

Anyway, what is being stubborn?

If I have a deviant point and want to bring it across strongly, am I being stubborn? Maybe that is just being a little dominant. Heh.. No worries, I am not.

But what if I am in the situation to see that they are wrong (in my perspective) and I tried to convince them repeatedly, but they in turn tried to tell me insistently how wrong (in their perspective) I am? I believe they will perceive me as someone being stubborn. At the same time, I may also be boiling as to how stubborn they are. True?

Ha.. I am merely painting some silly scenarios here.

We all have points to make at times.
How good if the points we make are seriously being considered!
What if the points we made are being brushed off?
Maybe things could be better if the other party makes us feel they are indeed listening to get our points right first, even if it were to be followed by some sincere rebuttals.

On another perspective, when we are making a point and only expect others to take it and nothing else, I believe there is a certain degree of stubbornness in us too, I think.

Perhaps, when we are making a point..
Yes, we believe in what we are saying. But in our heart, we should have rooms for communications; we should have spaces to allow better suggestions for further improvements at the same time.

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生命三宝

I quite like a simple article that I had just read.

A little extract here ..

大自然的三宝：阳光、空气、水
说话的三宝：请、谢谢、对不起
处事的三宝：谦虚、礼貌、赞叹
修养的三宝：安静、慈祥、沉稳
家庭的三宝：喜欢、幽默、体贴
饮食的三宝：均衡、节制、感恩
健康的三宝：步行、少欲、气和
睡眠的三宝：要放下、不妄想、睡得安宁
学问的三宝：活用、广博、实在
学习的三宝：聆听、接受、思维
人心的三宝：真实、善良、宽容
父母的三宝：教养、负责、荣耀
儿童的三宝：天真、活泼、乖巧
女士的三宝：青春、健美、气质
老人的三宝：不倚老卖老、不眷恋往事、不怨天尤人
幸福的三宝：吃的下、睡得着、笑得开
解决问题的三宝：面对、处理、放下

I think I had learnt something.

有人说：人到老年...

I have just come across a rather popular (I assume it is popular) link :
人到老年

It contains quite an interesting reflection about old-age, about being old, about getting old.

A little extract here :

人到老年，方才明白，东奔西走竭力想去改变的不是别的，恰恰是他们自己。
几十年的时光换来的不是别的，而是心静如水。

人到老年，开始明白，衰老不是从中年开始，而是从对生活的厌倦开始。

...
etc. etc. etc. ...

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Of course, my question is :
Must we really wait till our ripe old age to understand these?

Perhaps, certain “concepts” need certain degree of maturity to appreciate.
Perhaps, when we are young, it is only natural to think in the young way.
Perhaps, ... I think the list will just go on ...

Mm..
I somehow think many things can still be learnt regardless of age.
Just look around and ask ourselves
- How many times were we impressed by the younger ones?
- How many times were we puzzled by how come this old man or woman is so argg... ?

~ Old & Wise ~

It seems that...
Growing is a natural process.
But getting wiser is not necessarily a natural consequence.

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有一位圣者这么说：

一个人能知道自己的过错，诚为可喜。
但是要知道能改，才更为可贵。
纵有弥天之大罪，以抵不了一个「悔」字。
唯有真心的忏悔，才能真心的改过。

4 Seasons..

~ Same Place during Different Seasons ~

The feel is different.
The charm at different seasons is pretty unique, but again we understand different people may prefer one season more than the other. Yet, if we were to get to the "core", the bridge is still the bridge, the tree is just the tree, the river is simply the river.. "nothing" changes.

I can't help but to think..

When we see things being not too nice, is it because we are seeing it at the “wrong” time?

Or maybe..

Should we also try to look at things from some different perspectives, before making "conclusion"? We might be surprised of the findings.

多少人一直在议论着
我对你错、我好你坏、我是你非、等等 ...
多少人会尝试着以不同的角度来看待一件事情呢？

Mm..

很多事情或许就没有对错、好坏、是非之分，
而是人的心在作祟。就如 _______________ 。

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Sometimes, things may be going tough.
Undoubtedly, the winter is harsh. But if we were to give up during the harshness of winter, we will definitely miss the promising spring, the happening summer and the rewarding autumn.

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有一位圣者这么说：

谁都想占有，谁都占有不了什么。
人空手的来，又空手的回去，究竟能占有什么？
人从无开始，又回归于无。
既不能占有自己，又怎能占有别人？
想想看，何须占有？
愈想占有，到头来究竟有什么？
人并不真正的拥有什么事物，只要把占有欲放下就行了。
相反的，
人无须占有，即可享受一切。

Testing You (Me)..

Come on, let me test you on your analytical skills.
Look at the picture below. Look carefully please.

~ ~ The Bus ~ ~

The bus has just stopped to let some passengers alight. It is about to set off (by moving forward) to the next destination. You are to decide whether the bus is moving to the right or moving to the left.

You have 10 seconds.

Answer ( use your mouse to highlight the region after " : " ) : Right.

Background / Explanation
( use your mouse to highlight the region after " : " ) :

Pre-school children were asked the following question :
"In which direction is the bus pictured below travelling?"

The pre-schoolers all answered "right".

When asked, "Why do you think the bus is travelling in the right direction?"

They answered, "Because you can't see the door."

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How are you feeling about reading the background / explanation? Haha..

Perhaps, this is not a test of our so-called analytical skills, but a test of how complicated we have all become over the years of so-called growing and learning?

Maybe, when we are ever on a crossroad again or when we somehow fell into a dilemma, we may relax and ask ourselves whether we are already thinking in a far-too-complicated fashion.

~ ~ That Innocent Look ~ ~

是不是天真，我们的烦恼就会少一点？
是不是无邪，我们的思绪才会有条理？

成长的旅途，应该有不少经验的累积。
然而细察之，咱究竟累积了什么经验？

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欲无后悔先修己，各有前因莫羡人。

... You deserve more than I ...

A familiar tune was playing and I was slightly more minful of what I was hearing then. Riding on that melodious tune, the following lyrics were sang :

... you deserve more than I ...

For some unknown reasons, those words stuck on my mind for a long time. Of course, I am already thinking out of the “original context”.

It was/is actually quite “humbling”. Actually, I’m also not too sure if this is the way to describe.

我相信我蛮愿意也很真心地为大家付出。
可是山外有山、人外有人。

不知怎么的我在想：
如果你们遇到的不是我，
而是其他的「方外高人」，
你们应该会过得更好。

~ ~ Fading Away ~ ~

Strangely, I feel like fading away.

Fading away, but still watching.

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在警察节，记者访问了一个姨丈是警察的小朋友：「作警察好不好？」

「好极了！」小朋友说：「我坐姨丈的车出去，一路上好顺啊！连闯十几个红绿灯都没有被抓。」

Just Two Video Clips..

Was clearing mails and was browsing around. Hit upon two video clips that suck up much attention from me.

I am teaching. And many times, I am learning from the students too. I like the following clip although it is quite slow-moving. I just like the way it concludes.
http://www.teddystallardmovie.com/
A teacher-movie
No warning : step in and be inspired.

I am never into rap. But the following rap-clip makes me ROFL. Okay, I’m exaggerating. But.. quite funny lah. Hope it’s not too offending to some. :P
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2d9tsC9UU20
麻坡的华语 Muar Chinese
Warning: contains vulgarity, sexual and drug references.

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心宽胜屋宽，心安胜身安。

Some are struggling to get by...

Singapore may be a developed country, but recently I encountered quite many cases of people really struggling to get by.

(1) My heart sank a bit when I learnt that a fellow colleague once mentioned, “I had no money for lunch and casually wondered where lunch would come from”...

(2) I can’t possibly feel nothing when I learnt that he is working so hard (leaving home before 6am, returning home passed 8pm), but more than half of his monthly income has to be used to clear his debt incurred from his failed businesses in the past. His stress only compounded further when he learnt that ... save the details ... mm..

(3), (4), (5) ...

Certainly, it’s nice to learn that their relatives and friends also try to help.

Is money going to be their main saviour? Mm..

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起初，我真的会有一点舍不得。
毕竟，那是个“陌生”的数字。
可是，我也明白他比我更需要。
Mm ...
他都开口了，我也就依了他吧。
就算我从头再来又何妨？...
就算他十载也未能偿还又如何？...
放心，我还是会甘愿的 。...
因为，终于听到他松了一口气 。...

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有一位圣者这么说：

人既然生活在世界上，就必须做两件事。

一件是：从现实去发掘理想的宝藏。
一件是：从理想去弥补现实的缺陷。

尽管现实是痛苦与罪恶，
如能克服现实的缺陷，便是理想的完成。

困难是成功的恩人，
因此对于困难要感激，不要有埋怨，
因为有前阻才会有后力。

I was a Temporary Army Officer

I drove into a petrol station, stopped my car’s engine, get out of my car, open the fuel-tank-cap and instructed the attendant, “full tank please.”

Then I proceeded to walk into the convenient-store where the cashier was to pay the bill. The fun started as I pushed open the glass door of the store.

Another attendant was inside reading leisurely, but upon seeing me walking into the store, he stopped what he was doing immediately, body a little tensed up and threw me a mega-watt smile and said, “Hello sir, good afternoon.” For your information, he was saluting me at the same time.

I tried to be as polite (trying to match his), but I really felt a little strange. I mean it is good to be friendly, but his expression seemed to tell another thing altogether. He seemed to have many things to tell me.

I proceeded to pay my bill. And I know he was waiting patiently, wanting to talk to me, trying to tell me something.

“Hello sir, you from army right?”

I looked at him, still smiling, and said “No. Long time never go army already.”

He appeared confused, “You have brother working in army right?”

I said, “Brother? No lah. Brother don’t like army also.”

“Aiyo. Your face exactly the same as my officer lah.”
He went on to describe in amazement how I was like his officer : my facial expression, my built .. and so on. We chatted for a while.

Haha.. So it was once again a mistaken identity. Not my first anyway.

I felt quite funny now. So I am like a gung-ho army officer! The fact that the petrol station attendant was willing to talk at great length about that officer only suggested that the officer was/is not a bad one. So more precisely, I look like a good gung-ho army officer man! Yeah!

Dreaming. Dream on. More like army ocifer. Haha..

~ ~ Confused Identity ~ ~

只要不误认我为不良分子，
这一类的经验还蛮好玩的。

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某人因为在公开场合骂一位贵妇「母狗」，而被贵妇告上法庭。

「你太粗鲁了。」法官对某人说：「你必须在庭上公开向这位夫人道歉，否则就把你关起来。」

「我可以道歉，但是请问法官。」某人说：「我不能称这位夫人母狗，但是改天我遇上真的母狗，能不能称它为夫人呢？」

法官想了想，笑了：「你要发神经是你的事，那当然可以。」

「好极了！」某人立刻向贵妇一鞠躬：「对不起！ 夫人！」