Live Life With No Regrets!

Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve before kings; he will not serve before obscure men. (Proverbs 22:29)

The first impression of this proverb says that if you are skilled you are automatically rise up.

But another look at this proverb makes me think differently. When we are skilled we should look for "kings" (the best firms) to serve. We should in fact, ignore obscure companies.

Look for the best companies that will appreciate your work. Don't work for low quality companies, or companies that will not succeed. This doesn't mean we are stuck up or think we are too good for them. Rather, we choose people that will appreciate our work the best.

In today's global job market, we have to sell ourselves. Know the level of skill that you are at and find the best company for you. Don't short sell yourself. "He will not serve before obscure men."

Posted by Nico at 12:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Letter To Today
Originally uploaded by nicodemus_chan.

I couldn't help but write in to rebut another letter writer about saying scholarships help to teach financial independence.

I'm putting it on my blog for posterity's sake. After quite a few letters sent in to newspapers. It's my first one published. Seeing it in print does make you feel that you can make your voice heard in this world, and perhaps that you can make a difference somehow.

His letter and my reply...

Even well-off scholars need financial independence
Letter from Chen Junyi

I refer to Mr Thomas Lee's letter, "Review criteria for scholarships" (Aug 24), and wish to offer an alternative view to awarding scholarships based on merit alone.

A scholarship teaches students to be financially independent as the continued flow of funds depends on them maintaining good grades.

While well-off families can afford to sponsor their children's education, it also means that children still rely on their families for money.

However, an education is not only about doing well in school, but also mastering life skills.

When scholars are assigned to statutory boards or ministries after completing their studies, surely someone who has done well academically and learned to be financially independent would be better able to do their job and identify with the concept of earning one's keep?

My Reply:

I read with bemusement Chen Junyi's letter with the title "Even Well-Off Scholars Need Financial Independence." Arguing that scholarships are needed even for the well-off.

The reason presented is that the flow of funds from a scholarship will be maintained by only when grades are maintained. Because of that, he reasons a scholarship teaches life skills.

If that is the case, certainly the well-off parents can certainly institute the same kind of rules for their own children. "Maintain your grades or you're out of Harvard." "I'm only paying for your tuition, board and minimal allowance. If you need more money, get a part-time job."

His argument implies that well-off parents are soft, spoil their children and unable to discipline their own children and need an external institution to impose rules and maintain accountability.

Financial independence has nothing to do with the source of funds but the way that person learns to manage scarce resources.

It should be noted that multi-millionaire champion race car driver Michael Schumacher only gives his own children two euros per week. How's that for teaching financial independence?

Posted by Nico at 8:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A silly idea is current that good people do not know what temptation means.

This is an obvious lie.

Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is.

After all, you find out the strength of the German army by fighting against it, not by giving in. You find out the strength of a wind by trying to walk against it, not by lying down.

A man who gives in to temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour later.

That is why bad people, in one sense, know very little about badness. They have lived a sheltered life by always giving in.

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Singapore Bay Run 2007
Originally uploaded by nicodemus_chan.

Posted by Nico at 7:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Sunderland 0 - Liverpool 3 (0-2 Win $15.00)
West Ham 0 - Wigan 0 (1-1 Win $34.25)
Bolton 0 - Reading 2 (3-0, Lose $30.00)
Chelsea 2 - Portsmouth 0 (1-0, Win $13.80)
Arsenal 0 - Manchester City 0 (1-0 Lose $2.25)
Aston Villa 2 - Fulham 1 (2-1 Win $38.65)
Derby 3 - Birmingham 2 (1-2 Lose $6.30)
Everton 1 - Blackburn 1 (1-1 Win $37.60)
Middlesborough 0 - Newcastle 2 (2-2 Lose $24.40)
Manchester United 1 - Tottenham 1 (1-0 Lose $22.60)

Virtual Profit: $53.75
Running Total for this season: Loss of $89.60

Posted by Nico at 5:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The thing I realize is that what you receive in church isn't just Christianity preached. It's also the culture from where it comes from.

Coming from an American denomination, a lot of the preaching style is emotional, high spirited. But it lacks intelligence and thought. There are times when I question the logic in the preachers argument.

The British Christianity that I've observed from the Anglican church is more thoughtful, well thought out. But it lacks a certain pizzazz, spirit, high-tempo.

It may be good for me to visit other churches in my travels like Coptic, Eastern Orthodox. It would be good so that I can contrast what I have readily accepted as Christianity and then realize it was merely cultural practices.

Which leads to another thing to separate it from. The specific church's or preacher's style. What we mistake for Christianity may be the preachers own attitude or mistaken beliefs.

Posted by Nico at 2:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Note To Self:

Remember to always pack your power adapter of your laptop first.

You are far less likely to overlook your laptop computer than the power supply.

Posted by Nico at 2:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

(I write after a good nap).

Pumping out those ergs of energy each day is NOT like writing a term paper or taking a final exam.

(Which is what I thought too. I agree.)

It is like sustaining a dream that easily dissolves and is gone.

Screenwriting requires us to sustain images that are seen in the mind's eye. To sustain this fictive dream, we learn to focus our imagination.

When you feel that your writing is not happening, it may be because your thinking is not sufficiently focused to imagine. Keep at it, for imagining takes time to learn.

You should also appreciate the challenge of plotting a story and not expect to rush through it. When you feel that your brain is dissolving with fatigue, take it as a sign that you are writing the story. So there is no confusion on this point: Working out a feature-length story can easily take several months of gulag labor. That is the nature of this task, so brace for it.

Posted by Nico at 4:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

When you have problems with writing your story, one of the reasons could be that you don't have a clear enough picture of your story and idea.

I'm revisiting my idea and using a framework of ideas from and writing down one paragraph definitions of things like, What is the genre? What is the frame? What is the event? What is the crisis? What is the conflict about? What is the theme?

These are all simple questions to answer. And by answering them I have a clearer understanding because I have broken down my story idea into bite sized and manageable chunks.

The good thing is that I have intuitively answered all these questions when I wrote my synopsis and treatment, so it wasn't too difficult to answer those bite sized questions.

Answering those questions concisely helped though to have a clearer understanding. I think it is good to always go back to answering those questions over and over again.

It applies also to life and work and marriage itself. When you are having problems at work ask yourself, why am I doing what I am doing? Who is my customer? What is the attitude I should have? etc. In marriage: Why did I marry you? How should I love you? What is the goal in our marriage, etc..

Posted by Nico at 3:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

You write your first draft about something you choose.

The during the process, you figure out it's about something altogether different.

Your next draft will then be about that altogether different topic--but it too becomes about something different.

This process continues on until you truly understand what you are trying to say and what your story is really about for you, the characters, and the audience.

Posted by Nico at 6:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

If you're serious about something, you will be thinking about that subject almost all the time. You will find every spare time to do what you need to achieve that objective.

If something is important to you, you will do it IMMEDIATELY. You will also find ways to do achieve it despite obstacles and rejections.

Posted by Nico at 3:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I aim to increase my skills in the following areas:

1. Leadership.
2. Building and Maintaining Relationships.

I think that I've already hit my limit on technical skills that I need to learn, there is always some API to learn, some new technology to learn, and given time I can master them all. Therefore my next area of growth will be in leading and influencing people and in building and maintaining relationships.

Posted by Nico at 10:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Writing is a discipline. Much like training for a marathon or learning to dance or learning the guitar. There is no substitute for preparation or continual effort.

Don't worry about your story idea being "not new". In fact most story ideas are as old as time itself. It's just how we tell it, the setting. Boy meets girl stories. Heist movies. Wedding stories. Shakespeare's stories are always rehashed every few years or so.

Yes, audiences always want something fresh. Just like people want to taste something new. But in the end there are only the basic food groups. It's how we cook it.

Posted by Nico at 8:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I don't gamble. But the winning/losing is the how much I would win/lose if I did on Singapore Pools with the minimum $5 bet per category. It's also to prove why I shouldn't gamble, though I like predicting.

Portsmouth 1 - Bolton 0 (3-1, Lose $25, Win $3.75 = -$21.25)
Birmingham 1 - West Ham 0 (0-1, Lose $20, Win $15.75 = -$4.25)
Fulham 2 - Middlesborough 2 (1-2, Lose $25 Win $0.80 = -$24.20)
Reading 1 - Everton 2 (1-0, Lose $20 Win $15.70 = -$4.30)
Tottenham 1 - Derby 0 (4-0, Lose $25 Win $2 = -$23)
Wigan 1 - Sunderland 3 (3-0, Lose $30)
Newcastle 0 - Aston Villa 2 (0-0, Lose $25 Win $1.50 = -$23.50)
Man City 2 - Man Utd 1 (1-0, Lose $15 Win $32.15 = $17.15)
Blackburn 2 - Arsenal 3 (1-1, Lose $25 Win $1.35 = -$23.65)
Liverpool 1 - Chelsea 2 (1-1, Lose $20 Win $13.65 = -$6.35)

Virtual Total Profit/Loss: -$143.35

Posted by Nico at 6:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I’ve seen it too many times. A company does short term work but forgets stuff that doesn’t bring results but is essential to long term health.

It’s just like exercise.

It’s essential, everyone knows it’s important but a lot of people don’t do it.

Why?

Because it seems to be a waste of time.

Because it’s painful and tiring.

Because they don’t have clear goals.

What happens in the end?

They run out of breath in the long run.

They struggle in the latter part of the race. Things slow down. Things don’t seem to work.

And then they wonder why they are out of breath. Why is it so difficult to climb the hill? Why is every step so excruciating?

And so then a company blames (valid reasons though in the right context) the market conditions were not right, wrong choice of platform, too much competition, etc.

The biggest lesson I’ve learnt from running a marathon is this: “You can’t train overnight for one.”

Starting a company needs preparation. It needs careful planning. It needs training. Study how other created their company, what did they do, how did they go about it. It will go a long way to increasing chances of success.

Posted by Nico at 3:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Becoming the best bricklayer in town isn't the best way to become an architect.

Posted by Nico at 11:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Wait till you get to the real world. Then you'll know.

That's the thing... I think the real world is the fake world.

The world is built on perception, images... lies.

Image is everything, an ad with Andrea Agassi said.

The stock market is buoyed by "confidence".

Managers don't really manage by objectives achieved, they manage by how good they will look in front of their boss.

The success of cosmetic plastic surgery goes to show the emphasis on appearances are in this world.

Spin doctors abound to protect the image of the clients.

But is there any good in it all? Perhaps. Makeup is to enhance beauty, just like fresh paint on a building. Advertising is to spread good news of some product or service that can help people.

The danger is when truth is compromised.

Posted by Nico at 5:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

You don't have to be the best programmer to be promoted to become a manager of programmers. Though knowledge of programming is good, management is an entirely different ball game altogether.

It's like this. A lot of good football managers were football players, but they weren't the best. Jose Mourinho, case in point. He wasn't a good player at all. But his dad was a good manager.

In fact, being a good player doesn't make you a good manager. Most of the world-cup winning squad of 1966 didn't do too well in other jobs.

My advice to people who want to go up is that you don't need to be very good in the lower level tasks to go into management. Get an MBA or a certified project manager and find people who will hire you into management. You can't wait for your boss to promote you to a position. People skills are a much different skill that accounting or programming, etc.

80% of the success of your career is in your hands. Not your boss.

Posted by Nico at 1:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Don't iron clothes before going to work.

There's always that nagging feeling that you may have not switched it off.

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Everywhere is a source of inspiration. Your friends, your neighbours, your enemies. For writers you can take revenge by making your enemies villains in your stories. (Muah ha ha ha ha... It's true. I just read that the recently deceased Ingmar Bergman created a character based on his father whom he didn't like).

It gives you more motivation to find out about people. What makes them tick. It does in fact, make people more interesting.

Now that I'm writing, people get more interesting. You want to know their background, the parents, their friends, their aspirations, their fears. Not that I want to use people as source material, but rather that you realize that everyone is unique and has something interesting about them.

Everyone has their own story to tell. Some may be in Act 2 of their careers, Act 1 of their marriage, Act 3 of their relationships.

Posted by Nico at 10:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"Mad Hot Ballroom" is a documentary that follows a few group of public school students (in their teens) that learn 5 dances (Tango, Rumba, Foxtrot, Merengue, Waltz) within 10 weeks.

There was a interview with a teacher in the movie where she broke down because she saw her kids growing up into ladies and gentleman. Very touching.

Dance teaches kids to learn to grow up. It teaches you to walk and grow.

I definitely would want my kids to learn to dance, to teach them not just a skill but to become mature.

Posted by Nico at 2:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Then you're still in Act 2 of your life.

Act 2 is when your problems seem to get even more complicated. Its when the enemy seems to have the upper hand.

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Concentrate of winning your battle for today. Tomorrow can worry about itself.

Posted by Nico at 1:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

When you don't know what dialogue to write, it's good to think about the plot again and free flow writing the elements and how the characters interact with one another. Take time to understand more of your characters, their traits and their desires and the world from where they come from.

Posted by Nico at 1:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A retired engineer was once asked to fix a problem at his former company. The machinery wasn't working and being the expert on it, was recalled to help solve the problem.

He quoted a consultancy price of $50,000.

When he arrived at the factory floor, he listened carefully to the humming of the machine, then took out a piece of chalk and marked an 'X' at one spot. "This is where your problem lies."

The factory engineers duly opened the machine and examined the mechanism where the retired engineer pointed out. And quite correctly, the machine functioned after being fixed.

The managers were however, a bit miffed for paying $50,000 for just a chalk mark and asked the retired engineer to give a detailed breakdown. His invoice was as follows:

1. Chalk mark                       $      1
2. Service from years of experience $ 49,999
                                    --------
                            TOTAL   $ 50,000
                                    ========

The lesson learnt is that value doesn't just come from tangible goods or service but from the intangible as well.

Another lesson is that you must always quote a price BEFORE you give consultation.

Which reminds me of another story:

The difference between the runner in a 100m race may only be 0.01s. But the prize money can be as different as $100,000 and $50,000

100% increase in value for only a 0.1% difference in output.

One lesson I think is that we shouldn't try to go for doubling our output to double our pay. We can't. I can't double my pay by doubling my lines of code per day. In fact the number of lines of code I create a day remains constant. It is the quality of code and the years of experience behind it that is important. There is a limit to the number of hours a day we have.

It is increasing our decision making abilities so that making right decisions more often is increased, and thereby our added value increases.

Posted by Nico at 2:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

She is an expert player of the Kayageum (Korean Violin) and has released 4 CDs.

She graduated with a Bachelors Degree from Seoul National University.

She knows English, Chinese, Japanese and Ancient Hebrew.

Her father is an elder in her church.

She aspires to be a missionary.

Guess who else is she?

(Jaw drop....)

The following are the possible conclusions suggested by people

1. Everyone is really beautiful.
2. With make up, anything is possible.
3. With money, anything is possible.

I choose option 1. That first picture of her, makes her look like any girl that I've seen on the street. But I think that really everyone is beautiful. It just needs a little coaxing to come out.

C.S. Lewis writes that one day, even the most boring person you think of, will be transformed into a being that you would be tempted to worship at the feet of. Looking at that second picture, I can sure understand why some men would worship at her feet. :)

Mission trip to Korea anyone?

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