Posts (page 2)
My blog's down. It seems that it's because the web server is down. The web host is fixing things. But in the meantime, what better opportunity to update this Vox blog :P
What are the 5 words that best describe your life right now?
Submitted by mojito.
- Seeking
- Introspective
- Detached
- Faith-driven
- Changing
Had LASIK on my right eye this morning. According to my heart rate I was more relaxed than during my previous operation on the left eye. However, I was so relaxed that my gaze was not steady, and the surgeon had to stop several times to tell me to focus on the light. The thing is, the light seemed to be moving about so much that I didn't know where to focus. Anyway, after the operation I could see instant results, and I was under the laser for a shorter time because my right eye has a lower degree.
It's time to rest my eye again, so I will end here.
I had a pre-LASIK consultation today and as part of the tests, had to 'paralyse' my eye muscles so I can't focus properly, nor can my pupils dilate when the light's too bright. This will last for 24-36 hours. Now when I look at broad daylight, it's like my camera's been set to a high ISO and everything just looks dazzling white.
So I have to wear my big sunglasses in the day, and I'm typing this on my screen while squinting. I can't see near objects with my specs on. Have to take them off, like some of our parents would. Now I know how they feel.
How do you sign your emails?
Submitted by rosemarypepper.
Usually I end with "Cheers".
What other names did your parents consider for you?
Actually, they only told me they thought of 'Vanessa'. Apparently for a short while I had no name. I was labelled as 'Baby of ___' (insert my Dad's name).
The Life Series - Part 1
Forrest Gump said, "Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get."
When I was young, I used to play with my mum's Reversi board, thinking they looked like pieces of coin-shaped chocolates. This evening, as a dear friend of many years whipped out her Reversi board and challenged me to a match, the little memory I had of the game came back.
I've never been good at chess because it made me spend too much time thinking, and I got impatient. My record for Reversi was fairly mixed as well, and I hadn't played the game for several years. I was fully prepared to lose.
As I played, I gradually remembered the strategy of the game and began to see it as a representation of life. All the rash decisions I made before, were for immediate gain and long-term strategic loss. Once you cede a corner, you can never take it back. On the other hand, you may gain a whole cluster of squares, but lose them in a few moves if your opponent takes you on both sides. And even if you gain some ground on the sides, the tables can turn if you again allow yourself to be sealed off at both ends.
The game reminded me that almost everything in life is temporal. In the beginning, wins and losses are small but they accumulate. Every decision counts, although you can still bounce back from a few bad moves if you make more good ones to compensate for it.
In short, up to a certain point, the mistakes you make can be redeemable if you try hard enough. So if you find yourself in a losing situation, don't give up. Sometimes you need to lose a few tiles to gain more back.
Such strategy games also teach us how to plan in advance. We shouldn't just plan for the next step but for the next few steps as well. Don't make assumptions because the unexpected can happen.
Like in real life, there is temptation. You want to seize power immediately with a swipe, imagining how most of the board will switch to your colour. But how much of this territory can be just as easily returned to your opponent? You may want something (or someone) really badly, but how much good will that do for you in the long run? Do you have the will power to resist instant gratification and endure the pain of anonymity, waiting for your turn to strike and turn the tables?
The game also taught me that quality is better than quantity, in strategic terms. It is better to gain just one tile that you cannot lose, than to gain many that can easily turn renegade. Just like it is better to have one good friend than many fair-weathered ones. (I hope I was being a good friend despite not being a gracious guest!)
Sometimes the opponent may be very strong in one area. That's when you stick yourself in the middle and prevent him from expanding further, in either direction. I'd call it the David and Goliath principle. If you have limited powers in one area, focus them to be a pain in the neck (or a stone in the forehead) that won't go away. In short, you can still put the little resources you have to good use.
[This sounds a bit harsh, but I'm in a snippy mood after two events in a row with blogger friends.]
I've been slightly annoyed by the attitude of friends who expect me to know about every post they blog about. When they discover I'm unaware of some news that happened a while back (e.g. Friend A breaking up with Friend B), they express surprise that I don't know about it. That makes me feel bad, despite me having to read 500 other feeds, many of which are more informative and regularly updated (which is why I prefer reading them instead).
But later on when I mention something that I blogged about (e.g. me being really ill recently, or playing in a jazz band), I can tell they haven't read my blog either, because they respond like they've heard the news for the first time. And I have to tell them my story from scratch, which more or less confirms it.
So far I've kept quiet at such events because it really isn't worth bickering about, but I'm going to post it here just for the record. One day, if I get another comment like "Oh, you didn't read my post last month on how I clipped my toenails?", I might just shove this post up their face. It makes me feel like a 2nd-class netizen, because I'm expected to know everything about them, yet they don't feel obliged to know about me. This may be OK if they're A-list blogebrities who are worshipped by millions - but we're all far from that. A little humility and mutual respect would be nice, especially if we've been friends and equals for years, even decades.
Basically, don't expect other people to read your personal blog fastidiously, and openly make comments about their ignorance, yet fail to reciprocate yourself. It's a kind of double standard which puts me off.
What websites do you visit every day?
Submitted by Chez Michelle.
Gmail and Google Reader. I've got oodles of Googles.
What's some good advice you've given to a friend, but not followed yourself?
Submitted by robbbiedobbbie.
Ha. Mine would obviously be, "Take it easy. Don't stress yourself. You can do it."
