Hot Air Balloon Experience

What an Experience! It was amazing! I won't forget it any time soon. It's breath-taking to be up there.

I really like the Virgin Hot Air Balloon flights package They actually show you how to set up the whole things started from taking out the empty basket to connecting the balloon and inflated the balloon and lighted up the burner. They actually let us participated in the whole process. Its really worth it. Its really unforgettable.

The launching and landing part was the terrifying bit, but it was still good, smoothly done. The sound of the burner at first can be scary but soon I got used to it. The flights was very pleasant, we went up to above 5000 feet high. The scenery was so beautiful, the countryside looked so tidy and organised.

I highly recommend the Virgin Hot Air Balloon, the pilot was really experienced and professional. Go Virgin! Thank you Ah Gu for taking me to this trip! its AMAZING!

You are the average of five people

"You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with" Jim Rohn

it's very true!! especially me get influenced so easily. You want to spend time with people who inspire and motivate you:)

The Four Agreements

"Under any circumstance, always do your best, no more and no less. But keep in mind, your best is never going to be the same from moment to the next, everything is alive and changing all the time, so your best sometimes will sometimes be high quality, and other times it will be not as good."
- Don Miguel Ruiz



Always do our best no matter what and whether we feel like it or not. We might not in the right mood, or we just encounter unhappy stuff or we feel lazy. Don't give yourself any excuses, just show up and do it anyway. :)

 "To make the quickest progress, you don’t have to take huge leaps. You just have to take baby steps—and keep on taking them. In Japan, they call this approach kaizen, which literally translates as ‘continual improvement.’ Using kaizen, great and lasting success is achieved through small, consistent steps. It turns out that slow and steady is the best way to overcome your resistance to change." - Marcy Shimoff

7 habits of highly effective people - Stephen R Covey- quotes

"I believe that a life of integrity is the most fundamental of personal worth. I do not agree with the popular success literature that that says that self-esteem is primarily a matter of mind set, of attitude-that you can psych yourself into peace of mind. Peace of mind comes when your life is in harmony with true principles and values and in no other way" Stephen R.Covey from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

"Private Victory precedes Public Victory, Algebra comes before Calculus. Simply, if we want all joys of outward success, we must master ourselves" Covey

Habit is the pattern of behaviour that we do constantly in autopilot, means we do it without we realise it because we have done it repeatly.


The key points of the 7 habits of highly effective people;


1. Be proactive not reactive
This means that we take full resposibility of our life.  The word responsibility- 'response-ability' the ability to choose our response. We know that we are the creator of our life,  it is not determined by our surroundings or conditions or situations. Commitment, says no to the things that are not helpful, and fully committed to the things that you set yourself to do.

2. begin with the end of mind
This is based on the principle that all things are created twice. There is mental or first creation and a physical or second creation to all things. This is a simple idea, all great things are created twice (whether they are good or bad). First in the mind and then in reality. First, we must get clear on what we want and then create it in reality.

3. Put first things first
The things that matter most must never be at the mercy of the things that matter least. Learn to say no to distractions and negativity. Focus on the important things, learn to prioritise. Covey explains it very well on his idea of the four quadrant of time management. Check out his book or the summary on http://www.philosophersnotes.com/

4. Think win win
when entering a relationship with someone be it a business or intimate, Always think how you and your prospective partner to BOTH win. it's like a mutual simbiosis. Both have the benefit of each other.

5. Seek first to understand
The idea is simple, no explaination needed. Seek first to understand and then to be understood

6. Synergy
It means working together to create results rather than competition or slashing each other which common things in the corporate world. If we are working together, 1 + 1 is not equal to 2 anymore it might be 3 or 4 or 5. it creates greater impact.

7. Sharpen yout saw.
It means take time to rest and recharge. Exercise, spend time with your love ones, meditate, spend time on your hobbies, holiday, etc...

Harry Potter

I watched the final part of Harry Potter and the deathly hallows yesterday. it was great especially in 3D IMAX.  Having read all the books ages ago, I am not surprised I can't remember much already. The story line was extraordinary I thought I finally understood the story well. It refreshes my memory on the books and it answers the question like how Harry was not killed by "avacadabra" spell. The other amazing thing is I finally get to see how Harry's youngest son Albus severus potter looks like, he is super cute.

All in all, I am going to miss Harry Potter, still can't believe it has come to an end. I remember I read the Harry Potter  and the Philosophers's stone (which was the first book) when I was in the secondary school, it was 10 years ago. How time flies uh!. Now I am watching Harry Potter and Philosopher's Stone on youtube:) Harry, Hermione, and Ron they look so young!

Germany

Germany trip highlights!

Munich

Olympiapark

Fussen

 Neuschwanstein castle (Fairy tales castle) Amazing! :-)

This photo was taken from the middle of waterfall bridge (Mary bridge) as we're walking through.

Agu with mushroom hat! :-p

 Hohenschwangau castle

 Alpsee lake

Marienbruecke (Mary's Bridge). There's a waterfall below the bridge.

I can still remember vividly all the scenery of the photos above. It was definitely an eye-opening experience for me, I am still in the state of awe as I am looking through all the photos we have taken throughout the trip. How beautiful the nature can be!. It was like in a fairy tales, the amazing Alps, beautiful Castles, waterfall. I was stunt by the beauty of it. It's definitely a destination you can't miss if you go to Germany, millions of tourists every summer come to visit the castles. I feel so gratifying to be able to witness this beauty.

The germans words that I learnt:
Thank you sun = thank you
Damen = ladies
Herren = gentlemen
Toiletten = toilet (pretty obvious!)
Eingang = entrance
Ausgang = exit

awe-inspiring nature!

Stonehenge

One of the most famous sites in the world, Stonehenge is composed of earthworks surrounding a circular setting of large standing stones. It is at the centre of the most dense complex of Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments in England, including several hundred burial mounds.

cotton flowers

Its beautiful! I have just seen it for the first time in the Botanic Garden, Oxford. Amazing thing!

Heliamphora chimantensis

This is another amazing stuff. Carnivorous plant which eats insects. Its in the Botanic garden in Oxford. 

Also, on the way to work I have started seeing leaves growing. Its a sign of spring coming. Its a pretty sight, how incredible the nature can be!

Randy Pausch Last Lecture: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams

Randy's best known for his upbeat Last lecture speech in Carnegie Mellon University. His speech has touched millions of people including me. His legacy will live on, he's the role model for leadership and courage.

"It is not how to achieve your dreams, it's how to lead your life. If you lead your life in the right way. The karma will take care of itself and your dreams will come true" Randy Pausch

"The brick walls are there for a reason. They are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are htere to show how badly we want something, to stop the people who don't want something badly enough. They are there to keep out the other people" Randy Pausch

Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford Commencement Address

Company's Christmas lunch

I totally enjoyed the Christmas lunch with my colleagues and the directors. It's an eye opening thing for me, it might sounds quite silly!  but hey I really was amazed. I did go to the Christmas meal when I first joined the company but it wasn't as proper as this year. This time we booked it in advance, the tables were all well decorated and we each got a cracker on the table. It really felt so much more chrismassy than the last time. At first, I wonder what those were (the crackers), I haven't really paid any attention on those things before. I thought those were small presents prepared by the restaurant for each of us. It got more interesting when one of my colleague asked me to pull opened the cracker and you could hear a loud "bang". The inside contained a joke, a Christmas hat and a little present (it's a present for 3 years old I guess, cause I got a spin). it felt so different, it's certainly something new to me and now I know what the real Christmas really mean.

Another highlight was from one of my colleague. he has so much wisdom, he is at his 60 I think and he used to work in South East Asia and China when he was young. He talked about his experiences and the book he read. he was telling me about the story of him and his colleague stranded in the airport in China for few days due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances. He was complaining and cursing, but his colleague was so calm. He was complaining non-stop until a point the colleague said to him "why u westerners like to complain a lot?, u know there is not even a word for crisis in Chinese, it is the combination of two words which are danger and opportunity. I was so impressed that he actually knew this.

危机= weiji = danger + opportunity so we have to treat both the same. When the crisis strike look at it as an opportunity too, instead of worrying.

Ayn Rand Quotes

To say 'I love you' one must know first how to say the 'I.'- Ayn Rand (The Fountainhead)

"Man is the only living species that has the power to act as his own destroyer—and that is the way he has acted through most of his history".- Ayn Rand (The virtue of selfishness)

"In moral and intellectual issues, it is not enough to be right: one has to know that one is right".- Ayn Rand (The virtue of selfishness)

The story "The Emperor’s New Clothes". (Ayn Rand – THE VIRTUE OF SELFISHNESS -1964)

In that story, some charlatans sell nonexistent garments to the Emperor by asserting that the garments’ unusual beauty makes them invisible to those who are morally depraved at heart. Observe the psychological factors required to make this work: the charlatans rely on the Emperor’s self-doubt; the Emperor does not question their assertion nor their moral authority; he surrenders at once, claiming that he does see the garments—thus denying the evidence of his own eyes and invalidating his own consciousness—rather
than face a threat to his precarious self-esteem. His distance from reality may be gauged by the fact that he prefers to walk naked down the street, displaying his nonexistent garments to the people—rather than risk incurringthe moral condemnation of two scoundrels. The people, prompted by the same psychological panic, try to surpass one another in loud exclamations on the splendor of his clothes—until a child cries out that the Emperor is naked.

Outliers-Malcolm Gladwell

I have just read "Outliers- the story of success" by Malcolm Gladwell. One of my colleague mentioned this book during lunch time. it sounded quite intriguing and I have actually heard of this book a couple of times. So I decided to give it ago.

I must say it was a very interesting book. Although I still don't quite able to draw a firm conclusion after reading it, I need to revisit some part of the book . I think blogging about it does help to make things abit clearer.

From the cover of the book, here is the synopsis;

"Why do some people achieve so much more than others? Can they lie so far outside the ordinary? What is the secret of their success?"

In this provocative and inspiring book, Malcolm Gladwell examines everyone from business giants to scientific geniuses, sports stars to musicians, and reveals what they have in common. He looks behind the spectacular results, the myths and the legends to show what really explains exceptionally successful people.

Gladwell argues that, when we try to understand success, we normally start with the wrong question. We ask 'what is this person like?' when we should really be asking 'where are they from?' The real secret of success turns out to be suprisingly simple, and it hinges on a few crucial twists in people's stories- ont he culture they grow up in and the way they spend their time.

What does Bill Gates have in common with the Beatles? How does IQ relate to your salary? What can a linguist tell us about airline safety? How does the way your child speaks to an adult affect their success in life? What do rice paddies have to do with maths results? And how can you predict a maths star without even making them take a test? Malcolm Gladwell has the answers.

This book really will change the wat you think about life. And it will challenge you to make the most of your own potential.

In the book, he emphasized a lot on 10,000 hours rule and extraordinary opportunities. He claimed that Greatness requires enourmous times to build up their skills which I completely agree with him. He mentioned about the Beatles' musical talents and Gates' computer savvy due to their 10,000 hours of practise. Gladwell also said that they were given the opportunities to spend this amount of hours to practise. The Beatles were invited to go to Hamburg, Germany. They spent a lot of hours on stage performing seven days a week for few years. Bill Gates got sent to high schools that had access to computer. Gates was exposed to computer since an early age, he was really lucky since computer was very rare back then. He had already spent more than 10,000 hours on programming when he first set up his own company.

Towards the end, Gladwell concluded that success is not exceptional or mysterious. It is grounded in a web of advantages and inheritances, some deserved, some not, some earned, some just plain lucky- but all critical to making them who they. The outliers are products of history and community, of opportunity and legacy. The outlier, in the end, is not an outlier at all.

I think this is a very interesting and provocative sentences. It got me thinking, I think he is trying to instill humbleness to everyone. No matter how successful you are, you can't achieve them without the help of others. It is true, the things he doen't mention it very often is that you have to do your best and create your own opportunities. He keeps stressing on the unique circumtances that made every outliers to be the outliers. But if you don't make use of the opportunities and if you are not ready when the opportunities come then it would be useless too.

This book is very provocative indeed. It makes us think and remind us to make use of our time wisely since expertise is proportional to the time spent on practise.

Here is the quote that I like fromthe book;
"No one who can rise before dawn three hundred sixty days a year fail to make his family rich" Rice paddies

What's on?

I am working on  my new blog now... :-)

random stuff

It has been a very busy week so far. I have just moved into a new house. These past two days , all I did was shifting all my stuff. Luckily one of my housemate helped me out today. I really like my new room :-). Now my old laptop is actually working in my room. Since I got back here from my homecountry, My old laptop didn't work in my former room. It works in all the places except my old room. How strange! this is part of the reason I haven't been writing for awhile. I am glad that it actually works in my new room now.

Monday, 23rd of August was one of my historical day! I was overslept till very late and I was very late to work for the first time. I slept until almost 10am, literally was woken up by the vibration of my phone. I got a text from my mentor asking me why i was still not in. I was so shocked when I saw the clock and I was so blurred. I straightaway gave my mentor a ring saying I was overslept (what a good excuse! at least I was honest). I was rushing to work and had to work until 6pm to meet the working hours. It never occured to me before, I never overslept or late to lecture when I was in university. It was abit of a surprise to me. To be fair, I didn't sleep well the night before thanks to the noise of the television (from downstairs! not an excuse though) and I wasn't feeling that well the night before too. I learnt my lesson though, I set two alarms now.

Diamond

"A diamond is just a piece of charcoal that handled stress exceptionally well." ~Unknown

Stress here in scientific terms is pressure and temperature :-)

Medan

Hey I am back after spending 3 weeks home. It was good to visit family and friends and to see how much improvement my hometown has become. There are lots of new shops and entertainment places like karaoke and new shopping mall.

Medan is the fourth most populous city in Indonesia, after Jakarta (the capital city), Surabaya and Bandung. Actually, I have just realised that it is one of the most populated city and one of the large city in Indonesia. :-P. It's a nice place. I haven't appreciated it, not until recently. The city has a mix communities, from Batak people, Javanese and Chinese. Unlike the etnic chinese in other part of Indonesia, we speak Hokkien among us and speak Indonesia language with other etnics. There are still different dialects that are used by different communities in other parts of Indonesia like Sudan, java, etc... which some I don't even know. There are a few tourist places in Medan like Lake Toba and Berastagi.


Indonesia is huge, frankly I haven't travelled much to other part of Indonesia. I haven't even been to the capital city, Jakarta. What a shame! I would want to go in the future. I heard it's very crowded and very busy from my parents and siblings that have been there. But it's a really big city, large shopping places. Also I hope to visit other parts of Indonesia too like Bali, Bandung, etc...

ok.. I don't want to keep going on about my hometown. That's it for now. I want to have a early night :-)

Sushi

Sushi

Hot sunny days!!! these two days are really hot! It's still really sunny now even it's at eight in the evening. Everyone seems to enjoy the weather but it's abit too hot for me X-O, the neighbours are all out in the garden and my landlady she is gardening too while I try to keep myself in the shade :-). I was bored yesterday and decided to make sushi, with a little help from my landlady I made it as you can see from the picture above :-). It looks like this blog soon would become a cooking blog lol!. Between it only costs 3.5 pounds for all of the sushi shown in the picture above :-)

Sushi Rice;

Ingredients;

3 cups of uncooked calrose rice/ japanese sticky rice (I used 1/2 kg of sticky rice)

3 cups of water (10% more of water compared to the amount of rice)

1/2 cup of japanese rice vinegar (I used white vinegar instead :-P)

1/2 cup of sugar

1 teaspoon of salt

Preparation;

1. Wash the rice thoroughly until the water become clear

2. Put 10 % more water compared to the amount of rice

3. Soak it for at least 30 mins

4. Cook it in the pot with a lid or with a rice cooker

5. Mix together the rice vinegar, sugar and salt

6. Cook over a medium heat until sugar has dissolved and allow to cool

7. Put the cooked rice into a large mixing bowl then pour the vinegar sauce over the hot rice and mix

Sushi rolling:

For the filling, u can put anything you like. For me, I used cucumber, carrot, yellow pepper and onion spring and a can of salmon (all cheap stuff :-) )

Preparation;

1. Slice the veges thinly as shown in the picture

2. Place the rolling mat on the top of the chopping board.

3. Cover it with a layer of plastic or wrapping foil to prevent the rice stick onto it.

4. Place seaweed sheet on the mat and put a thin layer of the rice evenly on the top it

5. Start rolling it as shown on the video below.

Vegetable Lasagna

Vegetable lasagna

Ingredients:

•2 Tbsp. olive oil
•1/2 cup chopped onion
•3 cloves garlic, minced
•1/2 cup diced green pepper
•1/2 cup diced red pepper
•1/2 cup diced zucchini (courgette)
•8 oz. sliced mushrooms
•2 26 oz. jars spaghetti sauce or 6 cups homemade spaghetti sauce
•kosher salt and black pepper to taste
•15 oz. part-skim ricotta cheese
•2 large eggs, lightly beaten
•1 cup shredded asiago cheese
•12 oven-ready lasagna noodles, such as Ronzoni or Barilla
•1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
•2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Preparation:

1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2.Heat olive oil in a large (12- or 14-inch) skillet over medium heat. Add onions, garlic and peppers. Saute several minutes until vegetables start to soften.

3.Add zucchini and mushrooms. Saute 2-3 more minutes until the vegetables have released most of their water. Stir in spaghetti sauce.

4.Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let the sauce simmer about 7-10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings.

5.In a medium bowl, mix ricotta cheese, eggs and asiago cheese together. Set aside.

6.Spoon about 3/4 cup of the vegetable sauce into the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan.

7.Top with four lasagna noodles, going crosswise. It's okay if they overlap.

8.Top with 1/2 of the ricotta mixture, the Parmesan cheese and 1/3 of the sauce.

9.Top with four more lasagna noodles, the remaining ricotta mixture, 1 cup of the shredded mozzarella cheese and 1/3 of the sauce.

10.Top with the remaining lasagna noodles and remaining spaghetti sauce. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella over the spaghetti sauce.

11.Cover with aluminum foil, and bake 30 minutes. Remove foil, and bake another 10-20 minutes until golden and bubbly.

12.Let rest 15 minutes before cutting.

I have tried making this lasagna for the second time, it turned out to be okay this time. It was too dry the first time I made it. There was still abit of problem with the second time some of the lasagna sheets were not cooked very well. I think the problem was that I should have layered the sheets, 3/8 cup of vegetable sauce and 2 lasagna sheets and put another 3/8 cups of vegetables and another 2 sheets. Instead of putting 3/4 cups of vegetable sauce straight away and put four lasagna sheets on the top.