Wham, Bam, Pacman!

Last Monday, my beloved and I were walking along Nathan Road in Kowloon on our way to having breakfast when a woman handed us a local newspaper. "Why'd you accept that? You don't read Chinese," I said. "At least there's one thing I understand," she said as she flipped to the page with Sudoku. Another woman handed me a newspaper when we reached the next block. This time it was in English and in the Sports page were in very large letters - "Wham, Bam, Pacman!" - and the photos of Manny Pacquiao's face beaming while he wore the championship belt on one shoulder and Ricky Hatton lying flat on his back. "What the - , two rounds?!..." I expected Hatton to give Pacquiao a hard time. A world-class fighter who had only lost once in his career was knocked out in just two rounds. Way to go, Manny.

Our Hong Kong vacation is now over and we're back in Singapore. It's about time I watch the replay.

The Little Nyonya

Since January this year, I've been taking the bus instead of the MRT to and from work. Although the travel time is longer, I've seen many advantages to it. One of these is the on-board entertainment. Most buses, if not all, in my route have these mini television sets from TV Mobile. TV Mobile is a subsidiary of MediaCorp TV which is the leading media company in Singapore. Sometimes the shows are quite amusing that I'd stop watching cartoons on ParSniP. This week, TV Mobile started showing The Little Nyonya, a drama series which was very popular among Singaporeans when it first aired in November last year and it holds the record of having the most number of nominations for the Star Awards. The latter alone made me curious of the show. It is in Mandarin and English-subtitled which works for me since I'm used to watching Japanese anime.

The story is centered on the Peranakans, the descendants of Chinese immigrants who have adopted Malay customs, and it gives an insight of their unique culture, traditions, and cuisine. You can view the full synopsis here.

I've only watched two episodes so far and I find it interesting. Let's see how the story progresses.

Happiness at Work

I stumbled upon this article coincidentally after enjoying the long Easter weekend. It's not that I'm not happy with my work but some of the tips here can help you get a little perked up on those lazy Mondays.

12 Quick Tips for Boosting Your Happiness at Work
GRETCHEN RUBIN
March 9th, 2009

Of course, being happy at work depends mostly on how much you like your job. But there are also smaller steps that can boost your happiness, as well -- partly by boosting your physical comfort and your productivity.
Some of these steps are VERY small, but the fact that you’re taking steps to improve your situation itself boosts happiness.

1. Check for eyestrain by putting your hand to your forehead in a salute. If your eyes feel relieved, your work space is too bright.
2. Sit up straight with your shoulders down — every time I adjust my sitting position, I instantly feel more energetic and cheerier.
3. Get a phone headset. I resisted for a long time, because it looks so preposterous, but it’s really much more comfortable. Also, it lets me pace while I talk on the phone, which also looks preposterous, but is energizing.
4. Don’t keep candy on your desk. Studies show that people are much more likely to snack when a treat is within easy reach, and a handful of M&Ms each day could mean a weight gain of five pounds by year’s end.
5. Never say “yes” on the phone; instead, say, “I’ll get back to you.” When you’re actually speaking to someone, the desire to be accommodating is very strong, and can lead you to say “yes” without enough consideration. Along the same lines…
6. When deciding whether to say “yes,” imagine that you’re accepting a job that you’ll have to do next week. Don’t agree to something just because it seems so far off that it doesn’t seem onerous.
7. Don’t let yourself get too hungry. My husband goes without eating for hours and hours at a time, so once, trying to be helpful, I bought him a big bag of granola to keep in his desk. He ate the whole bag in one day and ended up sick as a dog. Lesson: eat regularly.
8. Take care of difficult calls, tasks, or emails as quickly as possible. Procrastinating makes them harder; getting them done gives a big boost of relieved energy.
9. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, think hard about how you spend your time. Be honest. How much time do you spend surfing the internet, looking for things you’ve misplaced, or doing a task that’s really someone else’s job? Also…
10. Let yourself stay ignorant of things you don’t need to know.
11. Go outside at least once a day, and if possible, take a walk. The sunlight and activity is good for your focus, mood, and retention of information.
12. Say “Good morning” to everyone. Social contact is cheering, and if you feel that you’re on good terms with all the people in your office, you’ll be happier each day. Also, it’s polite.

Source: shine.yahoo.com

History of Easter

Easter, which celebrates Jesus Christ's resurrection from the dead, is Christianity's most important holiday. It has been called a moveable feast because it doesn't fall on a set date every year, as most holidays do. Instead, Christian churches in the West celebrate Easter on the first Sunday following the full moon after the vernal equinox on March 21. Therefore, Easter is observed anywhere between March 22 and April 25 every year. Orthodox Christians use the Julian calendar to calculate when Easter will occur and typically celebrate the holiday a week or two after the Western churches, which follow the Gregorian calendar.

The exact origins of this religious feast day's name are unknown. Some sources claim the word Easter is derived from Eostre, a Teutonic goddess of spring and fertility. Other accounts trace Easter to the Latin term hebdomada alba, or white week, an ancient reference to Easter week and the white clothing donned by people who were baptized during that time. Through a translation error, the term later appeared as esostarum in Old High German, which eventually became Easter in English. In Spanish, Easter is known as Pascua; in French, Paques. These words are derived from the Greek and Latin Pascha or Pasch, for Passover. Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection occurred after he went to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover (or Pesach in Hebrew), the Jewish festival commemorating the ancient Israelites' exodus from slavery in Egypt. Pascha eventually came to mean Easter.

Easter is really an entire season of the Christian church year, as opposed to a single-day observance. Lent, the 40-day period leading up to Easter Sunday, is a time of reflection and penance and represents the 40 days that Jesus spent alone in the wilderness before starting his ministry, a time in which Christians believe he survived various temptations by the devil. The day before Lent, known as Fat Tuesday, is a last hurrah of food and fun before the fasting begins. The week preceding Easter is called Holy Week and includes Maundy Thursday, which commemorates Jesus' last supper with his disciples; Good Friday, which honors the day of his crucifixion; and Holy Saturday, which focuses on the transition between the crucifixion and resurrection. The 50-day period following Easter Sunday is called Eastertide and includes a celebration of Jesus' ascension into heaven.

In addition to Easter's religious significance, it also has a commercial side, as evidenced by the mounds of jelly beans and marshmallow chicks that appear in stores each spring. As with Christmas, over the centuries various folk customs and pagan traditions, including Easter eggs, bunnies, baskets and candy, have become a standard part of this holy holiday.

Happy Easter everyone!

Source: History.com

Logan, the Sky Angel Cowboy

Today, we celebrate Good Friday, the day of our Lord Jesus Christ's crucifixion and death. As we remember how God gave His only Son to save us from sin, let me share how a 13-year old boy touched the world by making a simple connection between his experience and Jesus Christ's sacrifice.