I DiD It My Way~
Friday, June 23, 2006
Life is a Learning Journey: You Stop Growing when You Stop Learning.
To be honest, it fazes me, a lot, to actually start a blog (Stop smirking, smug seasoned bloggers!). Previously I mentioned I how helpless I am when it comes to technology. In fact, it scares me sometimes. I mean, we are talking about an era where 13-year-olds expertly set up their own websites and all, when me, 22 and counting, consider checking my email and friendster accounts regularly to be IT-savvy enough. I remembered how I failed my E Maths throughout the 4 years of my sec sch days, thinking i am just not clever enuff to master the subject, I can never make it. I simply hated Maths! Seriously, i was thinking, who needs to know algebra and what-the-hell-was-it-called-again when you start working! Geez! So there I was, all sulky and hating the education system. Boy I was an angry teenager huh. It's like, 'This is not fair! I am just not talented in Maths! Hey its not my fault!' Then I came across this moral-thingy story. It goes:
Man A: (While admiring how his handy neighbour can always fix his own car troubles, commented,) Wow. I am impressed! You are really good at fixing cars! I will never be able to do that. I just sucks at mechanical stuffs. (And proceeds to laugh, expecting his neighbour to laugh along)
However, his neighbour did not share his amusement. He replied:
'You know, I wasn't born with the knowledge to fix cars. I got sick of whining how I feel so helpless against my car breaking down so I simply start picking up the skills on my own, do a little trial and error here and there, and finally manage to fix my own car'
Right. Isn't it human nature to always try to find something or someone else to blame when sucky things happen in life? It's unfair. I just wasn't talented. I didn't know how to. We said all these stuffs all the time instead of really admitting we dunno it because we dun bother to make the effort to learn on our own. Yes. Blaming is always the easy way out. I can whine till I am 70 that I know shit about technology and I still won't know shit. I can whine that I am fat but continue to snack all the time. So what, is God gonna hear my whining and says, 'Ok, I will make her slim!' TaDaa! I wish that, but no, life doesn't happen this way ya.
All that being said, if I continue to do nothing about wanting to learn, I will never learn how to make my blog skin nicer, add fancy html and stuffs like that. So I hope in the next few weeks to come and all, I can actually really add some nice touches to my blog. Some of you might still think, 'Oh C'mon! Is it really that hard?!' But to me, yeah, it is daunting. Don't you have anything that you dunno about and how would you like it if pple rub it in your face by retorting that?
Have you ever wonder about geniuses like Albert Einstein and the invention of planes and stuffs? Can you imagine coming up with stuffs like that in this lifetime?? Does the inventions drop into the open arms of these brainy scientists? As rational adults like you and me, we know that these scientists spent ages before they discover new stuffs, prolly like experimenting 999times before they succeed huh. Want to be slim? Sure. 2 words: Diet & Exercise. But wait, I know that. But why aint I slim?!! Ahhh... I sure have the knowledge of how to get slim, but I am not doing it isn't it? Wanna get straight As? Study loh.. But admit it, watching tv and eating potato chips is more fun anytime. So yeah.. I guess the reason why some pple dun succeed boils down to 2 explanations:
1. If you dun have the knowledge, you will never know how to reach your goal.
2. On the other hand, having the knowledge alone is good enuff. You gotta apply it. And that, is the hardest part.
Bah.. enuff preaching. I am boring myself to tears. LoL. I realise I didn't do it a intro of myself in my 1st entry, so here goes again: Doreen, female, Singaporean, 22! I am currently studying Japanese Language and have been for the past 1 and a half year. Ok, this is the part where I get lotsa curious questions. 'Do you mean Japanese Studies at NUS?' Nope, it's not. I study Jap at a jap lang sch. It's not a degree thingy, hell its not even a diploma. It's just, studying jap lang. Hence I hope this solve the mystery of my blog addy, Diary of a Sashimi Girl. Talking about Sashimi... ...
I LOVE SALMON SASHIMI!!!
Honestly! What's there not to love about it? It's a good source of protein, Omega 3 Fatty Acids (the good kind of fats that protects your heart), you dun have to add oil and cook it, and it tastes superb! How the sweetness oozes in my mouth with every bite.. *Drool* Ok you anti-raw food pple! No making of yucky noises! I will not tolerate that! Food is a very personal choice. I dislike chocolates, durians, char kway teow and whatever typical Singapore may like. You make say, 'What!!! You are mad! These stuffs are the real shiok stuffs!' And proceed to get all upset and huffy. So see, never critisize others for worshipping food that you yourself do not like k? For all you know, there are pple out there (at least I know I, for one) like certain stuffs enuff set up blogs with addy like mine. What, will it please you better if i call it 'Diary of a Chocolate Girl'??? Hmmp. To each her own. I love beef too, by the way. Medium rare is the best! But nvm, I shall not discuss about food for now.
We sometimes ask others or even ourselves this question: Are U Happy? Of coz we cannot be contented with all aspects of our lives, but generally, if you ask me that, yes, I can say I am. I love what I am doing now. Previously mentioned, I am no Jap Slut. I dun listen to Ayumi Hamasaki's tunes religiously, watch Jap anime fervently and kiss the ground a Japanese walks on. I simply like languages. They are beautiful to me... Go figure ^_^"
So.. while we are at it, anyone keen to pick up some jap? I am no expert of coz, but i tot i could impart a phrase or 2, a greeting here and there, to whoever is interested enuff. I shall choose how to introduce yourself to a Japanese the 1st time you meet. Here goes:
'Hajimemashite'
'Watashi (insert your name)
'Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu'
Japanese is not a hard language actually, especially if you are a Chinese. Their pronunciation, when written in roman words i.e. English, is easy to pronounce, just like our Chinese's han yu pin yin. 'Hajimemashite' literally means 'This is the 1st time we meet'. 'Watashi' meaning 'I' and 'desu' meaning 'am'. So yeah, it's like 'I Doreen am'. Their verbs come at the back. 'Yoroshiku onegaishimasu' means 'Pls regards me favourably from now on/ I depend on you to take care of me from now on'. Japaneses are very polite and humble pple. In jap, they actually differentiate into different levels of politeness, from just casual talking to friends to ultra polite stuffs when talking to their superiors and elders! It's really amazing, haha. Their humbleness will shock you, them often denying their own talents when praised and even to the extent of critisizing oneself! Now this is some culture I dig!
In Singapore, I realise that most pple know only the following 3 jap phrases:
1. (When eating jap food or dining at jap places): Oishii!
2. (Upon spotting babes): Kawaii!
3. (Trying to sound like you know a thing or 2): Soo desu nee!
'Oishii' literally means, well, delicious. 'Kawaii' literally means... Cute.... and 'Soo desu nee' means 'Oh I see'. But there is a better word you can master and the best thing is, this word means 'great!' for practically everything: the weather, food, others' talents, beautiful stuffs like sea and sky etc. The magic word is 'Sugoi!' (Su-go-ee). So the next time when u eat sushi, you can go 'Sugoi!', when the weather is fab, 'Sugoi!', when you are shellshocked about how great your fren does certain things, 'Sugoi!', or when Singapore starts snowing.... 'SUGOI!"
So there, the power of 'Sugoi!' ^___^
