Found
I am not a particularly pious person, but I think this prayer is filled with much wisdom and beauty.
I found it stuck onto the kitchen cabinet of the new house we just moved into, written in calligraphy, edges torn and paper yellow with age.
17th Century Nun’s Prayer
Lord, Thou knowest better than I know myself, that I am growing older and will someday be old. Keep me from the fatal habit of thinking I must say something on every subject and on every occasion. Release me from craving to straighten out everybody’s affairs. Make me thoughtful but not moody; helpful but not bossy. With my vast store of wisdom, it seems a pity not to use it all, but Thou knowest Lord that I want a few friends at the end.
Keep my mind free from the recital of endless details; give me wings to get to the point. Seal my lips on my aches and pains. They are increasing, and love of rehearsing them is becoming sweeter as the years go by. I dare not ask for grace enough to enjoy the tales of others’ pains, but help me to endure them with patience.
I dare not ask for improved memory, but for a growing humility and a lessing cocksureness when my memory seems to clash with the memories of others. Teach me the glorious lesson that occasionally I may be mistaken.
Keep me reasonably sweet; I do not want to be a Saint – some of them are so hard to live with – but a sour old person is one of the crowning works of the devil. Give me the ability to see good things in unexpected places, and talents in unexpected people. And, give me, O Lord, the grace to tell them so.
AMEN
Ads
My favourite two spots directed by the talented Dezzo of Salt Films. The first was an advertorial for the Singapore leg of the Nike Human Race 2008 and the second, a short for the Singapore International Film Festival 2009.
My favourite line from the SIFF spot, ‘I am icarus, falling from grace’ 
Music speaks a different kind of emotional language
Amri posted a snippet from the Notes & Neurons lecture on her blog. Just watch how, based on expectations, the audience is able to generate the universal pentatonic scale through simple cues.
I find it absolutely fascinating how deeply music can affect people, emotionally, physically and even to the point where it might alter one’s mental state. So many key elements of the brain come into play when listening to music. Auditory perception and analysis, memory and association, expectancy generation, visual representations, the list goes on.
In part 3 of the lecture, it states that personality and preference has an impact on the expectancy one has when listening to music. So as individuals, two people could be listening to the same piece of music and yet have emotional responses on complete opposite ends of the spectrum and as a result have completely different experiences and set of responses to the auditory stimuli.
If you have some time to spare, here’s part 3 and 4
The human mind is truly amazing.
Alright, enough, back to focusing on another organ located a little further down, Oh valentine!
Sparklehorse
will my pony recognise my voice in hell?
will he still be blind, or do they go by smell?
will you promise not to rest me out at sea
but on a fiery river boat that’s rickety?
RIP Mark Linkous, thank you for guiding me through some really dark days.
31st
Leaving for Bangkok in 9 days.
It cannot come sooner.
In other news, my parents celebrate their 31st wedding anniversary today. 31 years and 9 years of courtship prior.
40 solid years.
A marriage I am envious of, but not without its flaws, of course.
Great teamwork guys, I love you both.
The films that molded us :p
My brother just sent me a link to our favourite scene from Beetlejuice. Oh the memories!
I remember being so overly obsessed about beetlejuice we would make it a point to watch it at least twice a week (on our precious VHS!) and memorize lines and songs from the movie. I even made all my cousins put up a Christmas dance performance choreographed, based on the ‘Banana Boat’ scene, wearing skirts made from newspaper. Oh how they indulged me :p Bless them.
In retrospect, we were quite the oddball children, and our parents, quite the oddball parents for exposing us to such… grown up films at such a tender age.
Our favourite film when I was 10 and when he was 6 was, A Fish Called Wanda.
An armpit sniffing, Nietzsche spouting protagonist was my favourite actor. I am quite sure it was the scene with all the vulgarities that first piqued our interest. Such taboo at 10! Needless to say, my brother and I memorized that scene too, where I often get to play Otto and he, the unfortunate, but elegantly eloquent Archie Leach :p Ah the benefits of being the elder sibling.
Want
We always want the things we can’t have.
But in time, one will realise that it was useless wanting to begin with anyway.
Idealism
“You are too idealistic”
Am I?
Perhaps.
This is not an ideal world, hence, I think it takes people with crazy idealism to fuel them to do what they passionately believe in. There is nothing wrong with being idealistic. Running the whole race, that is the challenge.
As much as people think otherwise, I do not romanticize working in a third world country.
I have been fortunate to be given the opportunity to experience the gritty realities of healthcare amidst poverty so early in my course.
I am hungry for more.
Poverty is not romantic.
Suffering is not romantic.
The harsh realities of third world aid will hit you hard if you go there hoping to come back with exploitative photographs of the locals to show off to friends, so they can laud you for being a such compassionate adventurer.
I know what I believe in.
I believe that people should not have to suffer because of circumstance.
I believe doctors are people that should heal the sick without expecting fame or thanks.
I believe in the equality of healthcare.
I believe in the empowerment of women in a third world setting.
I believe in doing things quietly and with humility.
One day, I will achieve all that I believe in.
I owe it to myself and to my parents and loved ones who believed in me when no one else did.
For now, I can only work as hard as I can and draw strength and inspiration from the right sources.
Triage: Dr James Orbinksi’s Humanitarian Dilemma
Is life only about personal gratification and enjoyment?
When was the last time you gave back to your community?
Willy Wonka
All time favourite scene.
Alice in Wonderland 3D out tomorrow!
