Bricks and Bits

I was driving into work the other day and heard an interesting show on the radio. It was about a TV series I like, "James May's Toy Stories". The basic premise of the show is that they look at toys he used to play with as a child, and then use them to do something extreme. Like in the episode about Lego, they build a full size house out of Lego bricks, and in the Meccano episode, they build a footbridge to cross a canal using Meccano pieces.

The toys are considered toys from the past. Considering I used to play with Legos about 20 years ago, they are quite old. Inevitably, the middle aged radio show people start making comparisons with the toys kids today play with. Of course, 'in their day' things were better than the computer games that they dismiss, because you can't pull a game apart and see how it works. A statement which is absolute bollocks.

I grew up playing with Legos, and still go look in the toy store when I get the chance to see what they're doing now. When I got older, we got our first real PC and I started playing games too. It didn't take me long to start wondering how these games work and started 'pulling them apart'. While doing reading on how the parts fit together, you'd see many references to Legos. The software design follows the same basic concepts learnt while playing with Legos as a child. Lego is used as an aid to visualise abstract software design. It's not only related to bricklaying or mechanics or engineering.

I also found it unfair that the adults blamed the kids for the toys they play with. The kids do not design, manufacture and market these toys, and most of the time, they do not buy it for themselves either. It's the adults that do all this for them. Blaming children for the world around them and the lessons they learn from the adults that built it is ridiculous. Don't like the way children are today? Then blame the people that they imitate, the adults (not just the parents).

Awaken

I'm walking with my head lowered in shame from my place

I'm walking with my head lowered from my race

Yes it's easy to blame everything on the west

When in fact all focus should be on ourselves...

- Awaken, Maher Zain -

I can't help but be British right now

Let's be British and talk about the weather for a change. For the past couple of weeks, and without fail, i've been complaining talking about the weather. In Singapore, during the day, the weather is so scorching hot that I don't even want to leave my room. During the night, it gets really warm that I perspire in my sleep, and eventually I end up using the air-con.  In Shanghai, China my friend (Usha) told me the weather is really really cold!

In Melbourne, Muhsin told me despite having a weather of 25 degrees celsius, they are also having hailstorms! 

Effects of global warming is in our face ladies and gentlemen. According to my cousin, "it's never too late to save the environment". I hope that's true. For the sake of the people living in Singapore and weathering the scorching Sun, I hope that saying is true.

Update: Not only for the sake of people in Singapore, but also in other countries where heat or cold is unbearable.  

What would you do with $45 million?

I would:

• Retire (doesn't matter if i haven't even start working full-time yet!). 
• Fly to Tuscany and drive around Sicily with Muhsin in an ancient classic car of his choice. 
• Visit Venice before it sinks
• Ride a gondola with an Italian man with a thick mustache 'driving' it and sing some slow romantic Italian songs
• Go to the largest library in the world
• Meet and marry greet Hugh Jackman

Honestly, the list is endless. I wonder if any of you have a similar list. Muhsin was telling me a story of this acquaintance of his. Not only do I feel sheepish after hearing the full story but I felt really awed as well. I'll summarize the story and not wanting to disclose too much, i'll just call him Ali.

Ali bought a land in Melbourne 25 years back. It cost him about $300k and it was a form of investment. His wife didn't understand the point of the whole investment thing. Fast forward 25 years later, the property and the land that Ali bought is now worth...you guessed it. $45 million. 

I had to force myself to focus on what Muhsin was telling. The proceeds of the land and property will go into building an orphanage in Palestine and several shops near the orphanage. The purpose of having the mini businesses is to generate 'income' for the orphanage. Not only does he have a heart of gold, Ali is intelligent too.

Poverty and orphans still exist. And God bless people like Ali for wanting to help make a change. I applaud his move and him as a human being. May he be bless on earth and hereafter. Before we start being cynical or over-ambitious, let's face it- many of us do not have the capacity to pull an act like Ali. But maybe our purpose is different. I strongly believe that we're here to make a difference in someone else's life. Be it someone we know or just a stranger whom you happened to smile at as you walked past. We don't have to solve all the problems in the world. Just being there for someone counts for alot. Like the following that I got from Postsecrets:

At my college we have a bulletin board inspired by PostSecret. One day a photograph of a sunset was posted. Written across the photo in white ink it said "sometimes I wonder if anyone would care if I didn't wake up in the morning".


A few weeks later another photograph was posted. This was a photo of a sunrise. In white ink it said "yes, I would". . . I wish I could tell the person "thank-you" because the sunset was mine.

 A relative asked me what I was majoring in and I said Psychology. Her reaction? "Whoa. Everyday you'll have to listen to people's problems! Stress. Not only do you have to deal with stress in your own life, but that of others' as well. Good luck to you!" And that was said in a sarcastic tone.

It doesn't make sense now, but maybe in the future it will. It's a road that I've chosen to walk on and I intend to make it a meaningful one. If I can make a living and also save lives, why not.

Pic courtesy of Postsecrets 

But for now, it doesn't hurt to daydream about that 45 million bucks ;)