When presented with information, it's human nature to look for meaning, completeness, pattern, and connection between ideas.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Saturday, September 24, 2011
learning
Learning how to think really means learning how to exercise some control over how and what you think. It means being conscious and aware enough to choose what you pay attention to and to choose how you construct meaning from experience.
- David Foster Wallace, commencement speech at Kenyon College, 2005.
- David Foster Wallace, commencement speech at Kenyon College, 2005.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Rango
Saw this movie this morning. Good scripts, but that's also why people either love it or give it terrible rating. Hong Kong audience who relies on subtitles definitely would not be able to enjoy it. There are a few good taglines, like "people need to have something to believe in to hope for a better future", "it's not about you, it's about them", "No man can walk out on his own story".
Sunday, March 27, 2011
locus of control
“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference”
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
Thursday, February 17, 2011
That's me!
Isn't that great!
Indirectly, I realize my boss can describe what I have done and can do in fabulous terms. What a nice surprise!
Indirectly, I realize my boss can describe what I have done and can do in fabulous terms. What a nice surprise!
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Einstein
Isn't that great!
I got this chance to do a project on Einstein. Finding and choosing books and stuff from the library about him, make some posters about the books and the person. When I'm bothered by the general situation in career and $, I should remind myself how much I'm actually doing something I love to do.
I got this chance to do a project on Einstein. Finding and choosing books and stuff from the library about him, make some posters about the books and the person. When I'm bothered by the general situation in career and $, I should remind myself how much I'm actually doing something I love to do.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Letter to ESF Board of Governors
Dear Board Members,
On January 25th, after I picked up my Y6 girl from school, I told her, "Your school has a story on the front page today." She said, "I know, I read it in school." She sounded stressed. Earlier, when I worked through her KGV admission, with the realization of the future tuition and the levy, she told me "I don't feel good." I am writing to tell you this personal story to raise one point: our children, your students, are also feeling the tension and stress of the rapidly-rising school fee imposed on their families.
The annual battle on school fee that are apparently won by ESF by getting parents to pay more, and lost by parents by not having their voices respected, are in fact causing collateral damage. We all lose in these battles. You may get your P&L sheet balanced in number by adding fee, but you are running red in something that your accountants cannot count, a big loss that you may not see right-a-way, and by the time you realize it will be too late: the school reputation, your students' sense of belonging, and what they will remember about their alma mater.
I am not using our children's feeling as a bargaining power. No sensible parents will do that. What I am asking is that you look at the whole issue using a holistic approach, rather than a short-sighted one. This is a good opportunity for you to demonstrate to your students and the society how complex problems can be solved sensibly, creatively, with the interest of all stakeholders fairly balanced; instead of taking advantage of the side that has the weakest negotiation power.
We use the word "stakeholders" very often. Let us not forget what our "stake" is. Our children's school experience is a core part of their lives. Let us all try our best to provide the best environment for them to grow, and at the same time, maintain ESF schools as schools that all graduates, new and old, past and future, will be proud of.
Sincerely.
On January 25th, after I picked up my Y6 girl from school, I told her, "Your school has a story on the front page today." She said, "I know, I read it in school." She sounded stressed. Earlier, when I worked through her KGV admission, with the realization of the future tuition and the levy, she told me "I don't feel good." I am writing to tell you this personal story to raise one point: our children, your students, are also feeling the tension and stress of the rapidly-rising school fee imposed on their families.
The annual battle on school fee that are apparently won by ESF by getting parents to pay more, and lost by parents by not having their voices respected, are in fact causing collateral damage. We all lose in these battles. You may get your P&L sheet balanced in number by adding fee, but you are running red in something that your accountants cannot count, a big loss that you may not see right-a-way, and by the time you realize it will be too late: the school reputation, your students' sense of belonging, and what they will remember about their alma mater.
I am not using our children's feeling as a bargaining power. No sensible parents will do that. What I am asking is that you look at the whole issue using a holistic approach, rather than a short-sighted one. This is a good opportunity for you to demonstrate to your students and the society how complex problems can be solved sensibly, creatively, with the interest of all stakeholders fairly balanced; instead of taking advantage of the side that has the weakest negotiation power.
We use the word "stakeholders" very often. Let us not forget what our "stake" is. Our children's school experience is a core part of their lives. Let us all try our best to provide the best environment for them to grow, and at the same time, maintain ESF schools as schools that all graduates, new and old, past and future, will be proud of.
Sincerely.
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