Wake and Funeral Service on 21st September 2010 - Geoffrey Abisheganaden

   Testing the Picasa 3 Movie making function.Click on screen to run movie.

Fathers play your part

                                                         Watching a Movie together

      It was sad to read in the newspapers about the resurgence of street corner gangs, made up of teenagers and even young children (as young as 8 years old), as has been reported in the Straits Times the last 2 weeks. The case of  one Darren Ng, who was murdered in a gang fight recently in Downtown East  is shocking and while the police do their part to apprehend and put to justice the culprits, lets take a deep look into this sad facet of our fast paced, so called highly developed society and the problems which are now surfacing. I am not an expert in any way on gangs and their culture, but the gangs in Singapore are the end result of a need for the youth to get engaged in activities which are meaningful and will enrich themselves and those around them. I mean this in a spiritual and emotional way.


        Many can blame the breakdown of the family to today's jobs which are a) fast paced b) expect people to put in long hours on the computer and in overseas travel c) highly stressed d) lacking in a proper work-life balance.


        Imagine a dual income household where both parents are busy working to make a decent living. Grandparents nowadays don't want to be a burden to their children so would prefer their own privacy and live elsewhere so there arises this generation of 'latchkey children'. Son or daughter comes home to an empty house in the afternoon, and there is only a computer or TV for company, so it is quite logical he will want to have some 'family time' with his outside 'family' or friends. So if he or she mixes with the wrong company, then the problem starts. This is just based on a relatively well -off dual income family.


       How about a dysfunctional broken apart by divorce, or jail or one where one parent has passed away ? It is doubly lonely for the children. The parent has to make supreme effort to be there for the children and that takes time.


      Finally, a plea to those fathers including myself, the children, especially the young boys who will turn to men, need you as the father figure to show them the way ahead. Our actions, attitudes and presence in making time for the family is ever so important now, as if you are not there, the results as seen in recent weeks are disastrous. 


     This is a story to illustrate my message, there was once this young man who lived by the sea, he would love to take walks along the beach and would often jog and sit and watch the waves rush in and slowly move out. Once, the tide had gone out and he was shocked to find that on his beach, there were more than a thousand starfishes stranded by the fast receding tide.
     
     Stunned into action, he ran and started picking the starfishes one by one, knowing he had little time to save them as the day was fast turning into night and he could not see. The tide would come back up in about 12 hours,but many starfishes would be dead by then. So he ran along the beach and picked up each starfish and flung them back into the sea. Soon, he was walking slowly picking up each starfish and walked to the edge of the ocean and threw them into the sea. His task was impossible and he was getting tired by attempting his mammoth task.


     A middle- aged man walked by and was struck by this boy's enthusiasm and attitude. He called out to the boy and said, "young man, what are you doing ?" 


" Saving the starfishes sir" came the answer, the boy answered wearily.


"Do you know that there are thousands of them stranded on this beach ? the ligjt is fading fast and it will be night soon. What difference will it make ? "


The boy, picked up a starfish and walked near to the ocean, and threw it into the sea.


" I made a difference to THIS ONE".  the boy replied.


 Even if we can make a difference to the lives of just one starfish or young person, it is worth the time and the effort. 


      Do your part, fathers. 

Why is rock music 'evil' ?

             This is a classic video from Coldplay, one of Britain's top bands featuring Chris Martin (lead singer and husband of Gwyneth Paltrow) and is very entertaining.

              Rock music (some anyway) has been labelled satanic, morally decandent and imbibing all the wrong values in the youth. But give it (this genre) a break ! Why ? Its been around for 60 years, since Bill Haley and the Comets, Elvis Prestly, the Everly Brothers, the Beatles and Chuck Berry and countless others have been giving the baby boomers (those born from 1946 till 1975) endless hours of enjoyment, and hey, every new generation which comes after the previous one always gives the former a great deal of concern and headaches. There is a certain billionaire called Bono (frontman for the band U2) who has been at the forefront of charity work in Africa, helping thousands if not millions of starving Africans better their lives. And don't forget Sir Bob Geldof (Boomtown Rats) with his "Do they knowits Christmas album" and Voices that Care - all made their money through rock music and other popular music media, and helping millions in the process.

             Sure, there was the rise of the drug culture during the 60s, but rock and roll was only one aspect of the 'freedom movement' which was so vibrant representing the Flower Power of the youth. The youth of those times were no different from each generations' youth, they just want to do things their 'own way'much to the consternation of the older generation.

            So the establishment (that is people like you and I who are middle aged, married probably with or without kids and are earning a decent income) will feel threatened that the next generation is going to the dogs with their music, attitudes,  drugs, gangs, reverse messages etc. etc.

           So I say to these people, "grow up and think logically". Our children will grow up just fine provided we give them the necessary guidance,values, love and most importantly, our time. Music is part and parcel of our subculture, like it or not. Its been around for centuries and will continue to evolve for centuries to come

       Rock music, House music, Rap music etc. are just forms of stimulating our young minds. They are about as evil as tomorrow's newspapers. We just need to provide the young minds with the correct perspective, understand the fine line between the what is legal and illegal  and encourage debate.  

        Up till today I can't understand the appeal of Justin Bieber , does that mean he is evil ??

KSK Club Photos Collage

                  Another Collage of my Karate Club where I have been training for the last 8 years.

                  Chief Instructor : Sensei Chia Kwek Fah ; 7th Dan Shitoryu Karate

                  Asst. Instructor : Mickey Tey ; 2nd Dan

'New' Software 'Toy' Picasa 3

         This is a 'new' software which I have been playing with for the past few days. Called Picasa 3, it has many edit, and collage functions as well as movie production presentations which enable the user to easily put up pictures, hand held videos and trips in a fun and eye-catching manner. Here is a long overdue collage of ex- associates like Frank Rigley (forerly Regional Sales Manager of Weiss Technik till end 2009), and other current colleagues like Erhart Geto (Weiss Technik Regional Service Manager), N. Kannan, Rufus Pinto, Liew Hon Nien, Fhiyionna Tan and their spouses.

         The occasion was the retirement of Frank Rigley and this was taken before the Chinese NewYear 2008 at the restaurant named 'End of the World' at Batu Feringghi and at Ingolf's Kniepe bar and Restaurant at Bayan Baru.

         Good Times of the Past.

Visit to Thai Satellite Center - THEOS

Radio Telescopes in the Distance

      Several months ago I had the opportunity to visit a Satellite Center located in Thailand's Eastern Seaboard town of Chonburi. Roughly about 2 hours drive South East of Bangkok, the THEOS Center houses a number of radio telescopes focussed up in the sky at 2 satellites hovering above the Earth's atmosphere. The Thai scientists stationed there had received training in France and were part of a technology transfer from France to the kingdom of Thailand.

     

      The satellite model is rather uninspiring, all decked out in yellow reflective panels and weighing about 3 tons, its primary purpose is to detect changes in weather patterns all over Thailand, so as to assist the rural farming populations about extreme weather conditions like storms approaching and hot spots in the countryside. They offer the services not only to the Thai Government, but also for commercial purposes.

    

      I wonder why the neighboring countries, with all this technology readily available, and with 12 years of past experience, are still unable to prevent the out of control fires - which can be easily located, caused by slash and burn methods employed by farmers and resulting in the haze which has engulfed both Singapore and Malaysia recently ?

   

The Funny Thing after gaining an Education

                                                                          Andrew's Sec 1 Class

  The funny thing about Education is that modern day society is so enamoured or in love with the concept of studying or gaining as much paper as a means to 'move up' or achieve higher social status in life that alot of times, when I look at the education landscape in Singapore and in many Asian countries, I wonder whether all those years of studying amount to anything. Don't get me wrong, education or schooling is essential for a young person, but many times, the most successful people in life, as far as seizing opportunites or doing well and living a balanced life do not have degrees or postdoctorate qualifications. This leads me to question :

a) We put in 12 years of schooling, junior, secondary, high school or preuniversity or college and
b) another 4 to 6 years of undergraduate study
c) perhaps another 2 to 3 years of post graduate study

    For the most part, we study for exams, we learn things like pythagoras theorems. flood plains, ancient Chinese history, algebraic and quadratic equations, convalent bonds and De Brogli's theory and packet light pulses. We spill all these out for the exams, semester after semester, year after year. We put in days, weeks and months of 'burning the midnight oil' to study for the year end exam.

    At the end, we get the coveted paper - the A Level cert, the Degree in Science. And apply for a job.
You get the Job. Now comes the funny part.

    How much of these things which you study do you apply to your working life ?

a) addition, subtraction,division, multiplacition perhaps
b) Yes, No, and English stuff to write emails to colleagues and present some reports to the management
c) Understanding balance sheets (if you are an accountant or accounts assistant)
d) Reading and understanding some electrical circuit diagrams (if you are in the technical line)

    Everything else is new, we learn about banking, engineering processes, cashbook,MYOB etc. etc. ON THE JOB

     So what was the 12 - 16 years we put in so much effort,time, sweat, countless Red Bull drinks and nights inthe University Library  to gain the "A"s or "B"s for ???

     Do you tell your customer, who is facing a delivery time problem from your principal or supplier  "Oh don't worry, I know how to solve this problem, I got 2nd class honours in Engineering".  He will probably laugh at your face.

     Whats most important is the "school of life", people need to start work early and learn how to

a) interact meaningfully with your coworkers and colleagues for the benefit of your employer

b) meeting objectives and goals set out by company management and presenting them in a manner
    which will obtain maximum results for both the company and the person

c) hone in on interpersonal and life skills like good public relations, marketing, selling, adverserial
    and strategic planning

    Maybe the answer to achieving success in the businessworld is to start working EARLY. Then and only then will the person understand how deals are clinched, objectives met and goals are set and achieved.

     It has been noted that the most afraid to lose or kiasu people are those who have studied for the longest time, its like they have this mentality, "oh, I put in 12 years of my time and my parents 'money on computer science studies , I need to look for a job in the computer industry, at least I have a job". It may be a lousy paying job in a sunset industry but he doesn't see it.

     The risk takers are those who have nothing to lose, so they will try almost anything.  

     There is a famous quotation that bears repeating, "I have learnt whatever I need to learn in kindergarten, how to stick together and share our food, how to avoid the bullys, to clean my plate after my meal and never ever forget to say "thank you".