In the movie ‘Cape No. 7′, the female protagonist, who was in charge of organising an outdoor concert was feeling down from love blues on a rainy day. She indirectly articulated her woes via stating the uncertainty of whether it would still rain the next day – on the day of the concert. The truth [...]

  It’s probably not the best combo to attend a Heart Sutra lesson and watch a rom-com movie (Cape No. 7) later. I was unable to relate to the story, which would usually stir up feelings of yearning and forlornness. I found myself sitting in the dark cinema, predicting the ending and waiting for it to [...]

Ja: How rude, he ignored me when I greeted him. Ya: Maybe he’s shy or didn’t recognise you?  Ja: Nay, we met a few times although he was more chatty online. Well, a simple ‘hi’ would be nice. Makes me wonder should I greet again?  Ya: Well, the world would be a nicer place if [...]

  I just returned from hosting an encore screening session of the multiple-award winning documentary ‘Buddha’s Lost Children’. (The review link is below.) During the discussion session, a lady remarked that it was somewhat disturbing that the abbot featured in the film seemed angry at times, during his teaching sessions. I replied that as I [...]

Jinx in ‘Die Another Day’ says, ‘Most artists are only truly appreciated after they are dead.’ Yes, this is a sad truth known by many, artists included. When they die, it’s official that the artists can produce no more masterpieces. Suddenly, even their less masterful pieces become masterpieces. Those who treasured their works the most [...]

Those worldly think the spiritual are foolish for not focusing on, say, what there is to eat, on how to enjoy life.  Some live to eat. Are the most practical things the most obvious? Those spiritual think the worldly are foolish for not focusing on, say, why they should eat, on how to live life.  [...]

The poorest leaders are those who think they are the best leaders, when they are the exact opposite. They will always think they don’t need any training to better themselves, while always thinking their staff need more training to pull up the socks. The ironical truth might be that the staff’s socks might already be [...]

Gee: It’s so unlike ‘you’ to buy and give a present! Wee: But there’s no one ‘me’ you see…         I just ‘bought’ my way to another version of ‘me’,         I just ‘gave’ the old ‘me’ away.

I used to wonder this when I come across news of celebrity marriages in the papers – ‘Why is it that the rich and famous tend to marry the rich and famous?’ Is it the result of mutual seeking of compatibility in social status? Is it natural or contrived? How true is the love? Then [...]

While chatting with someone on something serious, he suggested that I be as candid as possible with him. I laughed and said, ‘I’m always candid. I only conceal the truth from those who cannot take it.’ Upon further reflection later, I realised that I am seldom as candid as I wish I could be – [...]

Cy: I don’t feel that I fit in here. Sy: Where? Cy: In this world. Sy: That might not be a bad thing! Cy: How so? Sy: You see the folks on the streets? Cy: Aha? Sy: Many of them feel they fit in here, with lots of stuff to hold them here. Cy: Which [...]

The Quest for a ‘Quantum of Solace’ In ‘Quantum of Solace’, James Bond, the otherwise stereotyped one, runs amok somewhat. He loses his gentlemanly cool and ‘playboyishness’ quite a bit and makes out with only one girl, in a very brief scene. Yup, lots more violence; with almost no sex. A reflection of our gritty [...]

Lugging around a heavy laptop bag, it struck me… that I can carry it long because I set it down regularly… on the train, on the bus, while standing, while sitting. I can carry it well because I can put it down well too. Contrary to usual reasoning, the best ‘carrier’ is not one who always [...]

Humans are often full of self-contradictions. When they see beached whales, they try to keep them moist, to transport them to deep waters for liberating them back into the seas. It’s a humongous rescue mission, but they see the worth of it. However, probably most of the same humans don’t bat an eyelid on the [...]

An email exchange in a Buddhism discussion mailing list that caught my eye.  E: Do not believe everything on the Internet. R: Do you expect us to believe that [advice]? A: No. It’s funny because the discussion took place on the Internet. Yup, emails are sent and received via the Internet. Regular participants of the discussion [...]