Why do we need to memorize meaningless facts?

Kor asked me this morning, on the way to school, why he needs to learn all those memorizing stuffs which seems meaningless (to him)? Take me for example, I hardly know all the maths I was once so good in or the chemistry stuffs which I majored in my tertiary education! Eeek! Not a very good example, ain't I?

I reckoned all these things he is learning in school, are challenges (other than knowledge) and this trains him  how to manage and handle the challenges and whatever possible stress that comes along. This would be useful for more stressful challenges in life ahead of him. Take me for example, though I have no idea what I had learnt in school before, I am facing a great challenge educating and bringing them up right now. It's so much more stressful than homework and exams. It's stressing me out so much I have sleepless nights these days and I'm zombied out during the daytime. It's so NOT FUN.

A new photo editor I found.

It's not a bad thing to change a little bit from our usual habits or routines.

I absolutely loved Photoshop to edit my pictures all the time, but because of the Windows update lately, all the programs need to be reinstalled and I hadn't have the time to find the installation file for the Photoshop for as long as I could remember.

Last night, I just did a random search on some free downloads and came across this new photo editor software and it's just wonderful. It can do batch processing, normally for re-sizing my pictures for easier downloading and uploading, which is just awesome great! Gone will be the days I do the exhaustive work picture by picture, one by one. Ha! I just had to kick myself in the butt for not discovering this earlier!

It has other so many features to play with also and it's so easy to use. But the laptop is still running pretty slow, usually after some lapse of time I am away from it. Anyone has any clues?

Then again, as I mentioned, changes is good. People usually resists change, we are habit creatures who loves to stay in the comfort zone, but it's always good to challenge ourselves, learn some new stuffs, explore the whole world and be inspired once again.

So, coming 5th May, let's hope there are some big changes for a better future.

Temples in Thailand.

We went to a few temples in Thailand, coz, well, Thailand and temples are so closely associated. We see many temples as we moved around from south to north then to south. 

In Chiengmai, on our last day before we were to board the train back to Bangkok city, a local suggested this temple at the top of the hill for sightseeing.

It was very beautiful indeed, but truly, I doubt the kids appreciate the true beauty of local attractions. 

They were more amazed with the tuk-tuk instead.

This was not a tram, but a lift for those lazy bums who do not want to climb the long stairs.

Everyone were seen walking round the big buddha in the middle as the instructions said we could have good luck walking around it 3 times in a clockwise direction. Of course WALK!

The kids were engrossed in ringing those big bells. Every single one of them.

Chiengmai town skyline. 

The long descent via the stairs. See why we all wait and cramp inside the lift to go up?

And that was all that I remembered for that trip. Easy and relaxing, but for the kids, hmm, I just wish they appreciate the little details more.

Windows upgraded and personal data gone!

My son just wiped off my data by reformatting C drive. Fortunately my pictures were all safely tucked in D drive, but still some of the times I would be really worried that all the pictures I stored in here and in the back up are all gone. That would indeed be a nightmare to me. The pictures and videos are just priceless.

In any case, my laptop is running pretty slow and sometimes it drives me nuts while I sit and wait for a page to load or for some "reaction" after tapping on its keyboard. It helps I still have my little Samsung which comes in handy to check on FB status, play some games of Scrabble or Candy Crush whilst having nothing else to do.

I had been longing to upgrade my laptop, but yet, I can't think of any good reason enough to spend those good money. It's not really for work anyway, I use the laptop to edit my pictures, blog, surf the internet, MSN chats, which are all just for leisure and not generating money to justify a brand new laptop. It's a lot of money to justify! There are just so many items in the waiting list right now and a new laptop is not like the top priority. Sigh!

I still have many pictures yet to share and blog, and those include the last couple of days in our Thailand trip, our Singapore trip, CNY and most recently the Melaka trip over the weekend. First, need to get my programs back installed here, and it has to be done soon!

Thoughts on qing ming.

On the topic of filial piety, qing ming, knowing your roots, ancestors and keeping the tradition of tomb cleaning and gathering the whole family up, everyone has different thoughts on this.

Mine is such an opposite from my hubs. He thinks that it's very important that this tradition is kept alive for generations to come and that it's a good opportunity for the whole clan to come gather together to keep the family bond intact.

For me, it's really in the heart. If you love someone or miss someone deeply, you don't need a specific day to clean the tomb or do the whole works.

Korkor asked me that day when we were crawling slowly in a traffic standstill to his great grandparents grave, how I would like to be handled after I die. I told him it's entirely up to him, he could keep my ashes or put it in a columbarium or scatter it in the sea, depending how he wants to keep me in his memory or how much hassle he wants to undertake. I asked him if he would miss me, he said of course he would. Then I said, that's enough said, keeping me in his heart forever sounds great for me already.

In fact, my mom told me before of her wishes when that day comes she breathes her last. She said she wished her ashes to be scattered over the sea so her soul could travel around the 4 oceans. She said she didn't want it to be a burden for the younger generation to make an exodus home and subject to unnecessary risks on the road just for her, who would be already not in this world anyway. What is the need to celebrate if the celebration of life is not done when one is alive anyway?

I truly echoes her words of wisdom, guess maybe as a daughter, I am more inclined to follow my mother's footsteps and thoughts, especially when it seems to be more logical and selfless.

But my hubs said no way. It's vital that his sons come and pray for him just like what's he's doing, what his grandparents are doing right now, and not only that, they should pray for their grandparents' and their great grandparents' (current one we go to during qingming) bringing their whole family, children and grandchildren too!! My gawd! Such a BIG task to undertake! I'd say, good luck to you, hubs!

A week of school holiday program.

It's the first day of the new school term again. A week is just too short to do all the tasks I planned for, or uhm, maybe the correct term is, thought of doing.

But one thing I was really happy about is that I made them do house chores! With the user friendly new vacuum, I divided living/ dining area into 3 sections and made them sweep and mop the floor concurrently every day, except the day when the part time cleaner was here. It was awesome!

Then! I taught them how to use the washing machine and assigned their duty roster. Didi was to put in the dirty laundry and get it washed, korkor was to hang the washed laundry up while meimei was to fold the laundry. They should be grateful I didn't make them wash the clothes with their own hands! And yet, they complained till sunset and had the cheeks to say I had so much free time already! Of course, that followed by a lecture of how I drive them around, feed them with home cooked meals and most importantly, I am TEACHING them not to be such lazy spoilt bums when they grow up.

Well, I'm sure they wouldn't appreciate what I'm doing for them right now, but I have confidence they will when the time comes. Knowing how to do house chores and doing it got to be the most marketable feature in future when finding a life partner ahead of them. Ha! You don't believe, let's just wait and see.