Woo ...
I've been always trying to find some ways to curb my "enthusiastic" (short tempered :D) and "passionate" (impatient) nature. Was told that yoga can calm one's nerves and regulate a person's moods. But tried it and didn't feel it helped much.
However, I've been trying out some meditation classes. Pretty useful and it is actually better for me than yoga. Yoga just didn't do for me what meditation does. Maybe I was searching for something more psychological than a physical solution.
The way I see it, meditation is really like a form of exercise for the mind. We're used to exercising our mind by doing puzzles, and playing games. The westerners do crosswords puzzles from newspaper, Japanese play nintendo and soduku, and asian play chinese chess. I think we've gotta approach meditation in a similar mindset. No use just stretching our minds in differeent directions and not letting it relax and focus. Keep an open mind and give it a try.
Here's a rather interesting recent CNN article on mediation that talks about it's popularity in the west now
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/06/11/pl.meditation.main/index.html
Where I go for some lessons in Singapore
http://meditateinsingapore.org/
Thursday, June 21, 2007
No faith in the "Gahmen" running the country
Recently been so bogged down dealing with a project from a certain gahmen (government in Singapore slang) agency that is really making me lose all faith in the so called tal;ents running the country. If my tax is going to contribute to the tax raise of these nincompoops, then I think it is a terrible waste of my money.
Apparently, the behavior of the government agency I am dealing with is not an isolated case, it appears it is a common understanding that "hey if you dealing with government agency, they are like that one."
A brief description of project. Basically, I am tasked to shoot and then edit a video for this government agency. We quoted for the job and specified "2 round of changes only". Then we were given a brief, and a script. Other than that, they say, "must be flexible". So here we go, we shoot exactly what we need for the script and then some scenes for "backup" just in case ... then as per needed when we're on set and they want us to catch anything in particular, we'd do it - so we're flexible.
Then the edit comes .. and we did it to the script's specification. This lady in charge comes back and say "That's not how we want it!". So we changed it, and the repeated similar things about what we're not doing right. So fine, I asked if they have any clips that they have that would show exactly what they wanted cos they are obviously having problems telling us what we needed to know. So we received a video done by another group they hired before and we followed the "style and design". Well, to make the long story short, it went on for a at least 5 more rounds of changes ... more and more people from dunno where started commenting on the clip, undoing some of the changes that was requested by the "initial person in charge". Then they send newpaper clippings to us in batches to insert in the video and requires us to make and update different versions whenever different batches arrive. What drove me up the wall was their attitude of "we send u the changes we need on Thursday end of the day. I need it Monday morning."
And guess what, they come back saying we're dragging our feet and they are unhappy with our progress.
Well, I am extremely unhappy at their unprofessionalism and of course this comment from them. From what I understood, they expect us to be on 24hr standby for their instructions and do their work on weekends and throughout the freaking night. The insensibility of their expectations and also the unprofessional handling of a project makes me disgusted at how our government keeps saying that they are "world class". Apparently, when I started discussing this issue with my friend who has also dealt with the government agencies, they have seen the same things too.
From this experience of working with this group, I've come the following conclusions:
1) They think their money is very big
2) They think they are the government, so they are the boss
3) They forgot they are civil servants, serving the country
4) No one dares to take up responsibility, and no one dares to make decisions
5) Their bosses probably don't know how the private sector functions and runs it like the military
6) The government so called "making our government agencies behave more like private firms" are just another wayang show.
7) Everything the government do and what the people in the government agency do are just wayang only.
8) There are no true leaders in the government sector - they only listen to whoever is higher in rank. And also that means, the so called managers and leaders suck.
9) People who are hired to do their jobs do not know what they are doing.
10) Pertaining to point 9, they still try to act like they do.
So let's just put this as a lesson learnt. No more government jobs. 1st and last time. Period :)
And I can't believe they are getting a pay raise ..... #@#!#
I have zero faith in the young talents running my country. They are just spineless followers who has no leadership quality and their accolades only look good on paper.
Apparently, the behavior of the government agency I am dealing with is not an isolated case, it appears it is a common understanding that "hey if you dealing with government agency, they are like that one."
A brief description of project. Basically, I am tasked to shoot and then edit a video for this government agency. We quoted for the job and specified "2 round of changes only". Then we were given a brief, and a script. Other than that, they say, "must be flexible". So here we go, we shoot exactly what we need for the script and then some scenes for "backup" just in case ... then as per needed when we're on set and they want us to catch anything in particular, we'd do it - so we're flexible.
Then the edit comes .. and we did it to the script's specification. This lady in charge comes back and say "That's not how we want it!". So we changed it, and the repeated similar things about what we're not doing right. So fine, I asked if they have any clips that they have that would show exactly what they wanted cos they are obviously having problems telling us what we needed to know. So we received a video done by another group they hired before and we followed the "style and design". Well, to make the long story short, it went on for a at least 5 more rounds of changes ... more and more people from dunno where started commenting on the clip, undoing some of the changes that was requested by the "initial person in charge". Then they send newpaper clippings to us in batches to insert in the video and requires us to make and update different versions whenever different batches arrive. What drove me up the wall was their attitude of "we send u the changes we need on Thursday end of the day. I need it Monday morning."
And guess what, they come back saying we're dragging our feet and they are unhappy with our progress.
Well, I am extremely unhappy at their unprofessionalism and of course this comment from them. From what I understood, they expect us to be on 24hr standby for their instructions and do their work on weekends and throughout the freaking night. The insensibility of their expectations and also the unprofessional handling of a project makes me disgusted at how our government keeps saying that they are "world class". Apparently, when I started discussing this issue with my friend who has also dealt with the government agencies, they have seen the same things too.
From this experience of working with this group, I've come the following conclusions:
1) They think their money is very big
2) They think they are the government, so they are the boss
3) They forgot they are civil servants, serving the country
4) No one dares to take up responsibility, and no one dares to make decisions
5) Their bosses probably don't know how the private sector functions and runs it like the military
6) The government so called "making our government agencies behave more like private firms" are just another wayang show.
7) Everything the government do and what the people in the government agency do are just wayang only.
8) There are no true leaders in the government sector - they only listen to whoever is higher in rank. And also that means, the so called managers and leaders suck.
9) People who are hired to do their jobs do not know what they are doing.
10) Pertaining to point 9, they still try to act like they do.
So let's just put this as a lesson learnt. No more government jobs. 1st and last time. Period :)
And I can't believe they are getting a pay raise ..... #@#!#
I have zero faith in the young talents running my country. They are just spineless followers who has no leadership quality and their accolades only look good on paper.
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