the lastsplash

Attended the Foundation of Organisation Learning (FOL) class today. Some of the concepts are quite interesting and useful, so I would like to share some of my take-home with everyone. =) I will summarise the key learning in three points: 1. Learning Disabilities - What are they? Why should they be avoided? 2. Team Learning - What are the areas in which a team can learn? 3. Generative Conversation - How to use the A-I-D tool to have productive conversation. Learning Disabilities These are factors which impede individual learning from taking place. Some examples of these disabilities from Peter M. Senge 's " The Fifth Discipline " includes: 1. "I am my position" - Refusing to learn from others or accept others ideas as we focus only on our ourselves, our stand, and only we are right. 2. "The enemy is out there" - Blaming others instead of learning the root cause of problem. 3. "Illusion of taking charge" - Acting on reflexes rather than a...

I woke up at 7.30am this morning, early for weekend, but for a good reason. Today was the launch of the cookbook " Patchwork of Flavours " and I had volunteered to help out at the sale. " Patchwork of Flavours " is a recipe book. The project was initiated by volunteers from Regular Service Project (RSP) Elders , NTU Welfare Services Club (WSC) , two years ago. It showcases traditional home made recipes of elderly living in the homes, heartland, and clans. There are 38 easy-to-follow recipes with nice colourful photos of the dishes (tho' abit ruin by the sponsors' products in the background). Volunteers tried cooking the dishes themselves! The proceeds from the book sales will be donated to four charitable organizations, "AWWA Community Home for Senior Citizens" (where we volunteered back then!), "Kheng Chiu Loke Tin Kee Home", "Geylang East Home for the Aged", "Retired and Senior Volunteer Programme Singapore - RSVP". ...

I look forward to the opening of the movie " Da Vinci Code " tomorrow. Perhaps I'll catch it this weekend or next week when it'll be less crowded. But as many, like me, who are looking forward to the movie, there are also many who criticise and shun away from the movie. In fact, in India, the release of the movie had been put on hold. Many feel that the movie offended their faith, we should respect that. But I think it is important to keep in mind that this is a movie adapted from a the book by Dan Brown, a work of fiction. We should probably watch the movie, or read the book, with the intention of getting entertained, rather than finding the truth. The controversies are its selling point. No doubt, the story itself is flawed. An article on HowStuffWorks analyses "How The Da Vinci Code Doesn't Work" . My favourite flaws are that "the restrooms of the Louvre have liquid soap, just like most other public restrooms" and "according to a "...

Oh my gosh. I finally finished the book I picked up more than four months ago. Reading a book is something which I usually do only on my trip to and back from work. And this book isn't exactly the size which I would wanna put in my bag, so I left it at home to collect dust after a couple of days. I picked it up yesterday only becuz I wanted to buy a new book, and had to finish this first. Once I did that, like the experience of reading other Gaiman's books, I was unable to put it down and promptly finished the two hundred odd pages left today. Anansi Boys was the fifth Neil Gaiman novel I read (excluding the Sandman Series and other related graphic novels). I like reading Gaiman's stories because of the world he created in his stories. The world where the Gods and the Deads walk among the Livings. Gods from long ago who would eventually be forgotten. If you have read American Gods, you'll probably be familiar with the world he created in Anansi Boys . I don't know ...

I just finished reading the book, "A Year In The Merde" by Stephen Clarke. For those who are unaware, "merde" means "poo poo" , "excrete" , or simply "shit" in French. I bought this book earlier this week, and couldn't put it down since I started reading it. And I began to think and speak in zee funeh french azzent. The book is about an Englishman who wenta Paris to set up "English" tea-rooms. Why would the land of cafes need tea-rooms? As the book critics put it, this is a "funny, mostly irrelevant, and politically incorrect" book. If the what described in the book were true, then this book had provided a great insight to life in Paris. And come to think of it, some aspects are quite similar to living in Singapore. To begin, Parisians say " Boujour! " when they see you, so do Singaporeans, eg. when they see you at the canteen enjoying your kopi break, they are likely to say " Bo Jio! Not ste...

Between the Pedestals of Night and Morning Between red death and radiant desire With not one sound of triumph or of warning Stands the great sentry on the Bridge of Fire. O transient soul, thy thought with dreams adorning, Cast down the laurel, and unstring the lyre: the wheels of Time are turning, turning, turning, The slow stream channels deep and doth not tire. Gods on their bridge above Whispering lies and love Shall mock your passage down the sunless river Which, rolling all it streams, shall take you, king of dreams, -Unthroned and unapproachable for ever- To were the kings who dreamed of old Whiten in habitations monumental cold. James Elroy Flecker, 1884-1915. I am impressed by how detailed dreams can be. We can read a book, watch TV, surf net. Sometimes we can conciously move, feel, smell, touch, hear. And yet sometimes, we are just audiences in our dreams. Ever dreamt that you are dreaming? Yeah, nested dr eams. Hah. And when you 'wake up' in the dream, you want to go...