今年, 對我黎o講, 係好壞交織之年... 唔開心o既, 主打係工作上, 真係從來未試過o甘辛苦, 從來未過o甘委屈, well, maybe that's life! 我都承認o係呢一年長大o左好多, 亦都學懂o左好多... 如一些成功人士所言, 你因跌倒而被灑得一身都係o既塵土, 只會讓你更堅強, 助你飛得更高!
只希望, 2014 年, 事業上可以順順利利... I am ready to 衝刺啦~
Personal Life 方面, 過得尚算不錯, 家庭與愛情上, 都很相愛, 希望呢個 improvement, 可以持續!
想以兩句說話 conclude:
感謝今年走進我心裡的人, 你讓我的生命更加充實; 也感謝走出我心裡的人, 你讓我的心可以容納更多別人。
2013年12月18日 星期三
Interesting Quote
Read this from Weibo:
怎樣把這句話翻譯得高贵優雅有内涵??
“Hey, guys! If you have something to say，then say! If you have nothing to say，then go！
” 正確答案：“眾爱卿，有事啟奏，無事退朝”
怎樣把這句話翻譯得高贵優雅有内涵??
“Hey, guys! If you have something to say，then say! If you have nothing to say，then go！
” 正確答案：“眾爱卿，有事啟奏，無事退朝”
2013年12月17日 星期二
A Confrontingly Honest Admission of Struggle
My friend sent me this article yesterday... quite true...
---------------------------------------------------------
From [Mamamia] website:
I attended a Christmas party on Saturday night, at which a peculiar, eye-opening and unexpected thing occurred.
I am not speaking of drinking games, nude twister or exorcisms (I once attended a party where someone attempted an “intervention exorcism”. I couldn’t make that shit up if I tried).
What took place was an outpouring of honest admissions of struggle.
We were all standing around the kitchen, helping the host with the dishes, when my friend Emma (who is a reiki-master-slash-soul-reader – yes that is a thing) suggested we each share what we were grateful for in 2013 and what we looked forward to in 2014.
Keep in mind, I mix in circles of comedians, immaculately groomed gay men and their hags, so sincere emotional expression is a rare happening. There was an audible exhale from about 5 of us and then variations on the statement, “I am grateful that it is nearly over” were expressed. I found this both surprising and reassuring.
It turns out this year has been a bloody tough one for a lot of my friends. I had no idea of that fact; I thought it had just been me struggling. My mates (as is the case with most people) tend to only post the highlights of their lives on Facebook and leave the tough stuff for the sleepless nights.
When it was my turn to express what I was grateful for and what I was looking forward to, I found myself momentarily paralysed by the thought of having to find something positive to say about the past year.
In terms of shit years, I’ve had an absolute belter. I am not going to bore you with the details but the headlines are:
1. Marriage ended
2. Lost best friend due to said best friend making up that she had cancer.
3. Lost house.
4. Lost job.
5. Moved back in with my parents.
Now, I know there are people in the world with far bigger troubles than I but it’s all relative right?
To be perfectly honest it’s feels like someone placed a fucking grenade in the middle of my existence and I am now wandering on the torn up field that is my life, trying to put the pieces back together that just don’t fit anymore.
As bizarre as this is going to sound, I think that is what I am grateful for.
This year has been such an intense period of personal growth for me, none of which would have happened if I had been content and comfortable with things. I have been forced to examine my own life, behaviours and beliefs and had to face some universal truths. It has been a painful year but one rich in experience. I can actually feel the change that has happened within me, my priorities have shifted and I am becoming more of the person I would like to be, rather than the one I thought other people wanted me to be.
Am I starting to sound like I have joined a cult?!
I know inspirational quotes are mostly considered naff and gag-inducing but the one I am about to share resonated with me, is poignant for the current time and is written in red lipstick on my mirror at home, so you’ll all indulge me for a moment, right?
Nelson Mandela said: “There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered.”
You see, a year ago, I would have stood in front of my friends and given the Facebook version of my life. I would have painted a picture of success, happiness and achievement. Of which I did have some. But that was not really an accurate depiction of my 2013. So I told the truth to my friends and in turn they told their truths. It turns out 2013 has been unkind to a lot of them but we all admitted that we learned things we would not have uncovered otherwise.
So I’ll share with you what I said to them. I am grateful for the challenging year I’ve had, the friends who supported me through it and for the discovery that I truly have balls of steel. I look forward to next year being one of new experiences, opportunities and people that I am now only open to because of the things I have learned this year.
I have paraphrased myself there. The actual version involved a bit more swearing, wine and snot-crying, but you get the gist. So, I now turn it out to you lot. What are you grateful for from 2013 and what are you hopeful for from 2014?
Drop some truth bombs, y’all.
Yours in self reflection,
---------------------------------------------------------
From [Mamamia] website:
I attended a Christmas party on Saturday night, at which a peculiar, eye-opening and unexpected thing occurred.
I am not speaking of drinking games, nude twister or exorcisms (I once attended a party where someone attempted an “intervention exorcism”. I couldn’t make that shit up if I tried).
What took place was an outpouring of honest admissions of struggle.
We were all standing around the kitchen, helping the host with the dishes, when my friend Emma (who is a reiki-master-slash-soul-reader – yes that is a thing) suggested we each share what we were grateful for in 2013 and what we looked forward to in 2014.
Keep in mind, I mix in circles of comedians, immaculately groomed gay men and their hags, so sincere emotional expression is a rare happening. There was an audible exhale from about 5 of us and then variations on the statement, “I am grateful that it is nearly over” were expressed. I found this both surprising and reassuring.
It turns out this year has been a bloody tough one for a lot of my friends. I had no idea of that fact; I thought it had just been me struggling. My mates (as is the case with most people) tend to only post the highlights of their lives on Facebook and leave the tough stuff for the sleepless nights.
When it was my turn to express what I was grateful for and what I was looking forward to, I found myself momentarily paralysed by the thought of having to find something positive to say about the past year.
In terms of shit years, I’ve had an absolute belter. I am not going to bore you with the details but the headlines are:
1. Marriage ended
2. Lost best friend due to said best friend making up that she had cancer.
3. Lost house.
4. Lost job.
5. Moved back in with my parents.
Now, I know there are people in the world with far bigger troubles than I but it’s all relative right?
To be perfectly honest it’s feels like someone placed a fucking grenade in the middle of my existence and I am now wandering on the torn up field that is my life, trying to put the pieces back together that just don’t fit anymore.
As bizarre as this is going to sound, I think that is what I am grateful for.
This year has been such an intense period of personal growth for me, none of which would have happened if I had been content and comfortable with things. I have been forced to examine my own life, behaviours and beliefs and had to face some universal truths. It has been a painful year but one rich in experience. I can actually feel the change that has happened within me, my priorities have shifted and I am becoming more of the person I would like to be, rather than the one I thought other people wanted me to be.
Am I starting to sound like I have joined a cult?!
I know inspirational quotes are mostly considered naff and gag-inducing but the one I am about to share resonated with me, is poignant for the current time and is written in red lipstick on my mirror at home, so you’ll all indulge me for a moment, right?
Nelson Mandela said: “There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered.”
You see, a year ago, I would have stood in front of my friends and given the Facebook version of my life. I would have painted a picture of success, happiness and achievement. Of which I did have some. But that was not really an accurate depiction of my 2013. So I told the truth to my friends and in turn they told their truths. It turns out 2013 has been unkind to a lot of them but we all admitted that we learned things we would not have uncovered otherwise.
So I’ll share with you what I said to them. I am grateful for the challenging year I’ve had, the friends who supported me through it and for the discovery that I truly have balls of steel. I look forward to next year being one of new experiences, opportunities and people that I am now only open to because of the things I have learned this year.
I have paraphrased myself there. The actual version involved a bit more swearing, wine and snot-crying, but you get the gist. So, I now turn it out to you lot. What are you grateful for from 2013 and what are you hopeful for from 2014?
Drop some truth bombs, y’all.
Yours in self reflection,
2013年12月16日 星期一
獻给1980-1989出生的人
o係網上睇到以下一篇文章, 八十後的生活, 好苦o阿...
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那些純真的年代
無可代替的年代
獻給所有八零年代出生的笨小孩：
當我們讀小學時，讀大學不要錢
當我們讀大學時，讀小學不要錢
當我們還不能工作時，工作是分配的
我們可以工作時，戰國時代般的才能勉強找分餓不死人的工作
我們不能掙錢時，房子是分的；
我們能掙錢時，卻發現房子已經買不起了
我們沒結婚時，圍牆都是很堅固的
我們結婚時，滿城卻盡是婚外戀
祝願我們所有八零年代的孩子夢想成真，就算有點兒背，也不能怨社會，心若在，夢就在...
人生如戲
一晃二十幾年
一晃二十幾年
有些東西你是否快要遺忘了呢？
細細的品吧！
這是只屬於我們這一代人的美好回憶
趁年青複習一下
當我們回首往事
也許是花相似，但人不同了
轉眼間，我們真的已經長大。
八十年代的人，也許你上了新穎的大學，也許你找到了屬於自己的工作
或許，
你已經找到了人生中的另一半。
南恰島的姊妹情
自從北京回港之後, 講o左好耐要去韓國搵我以前一齊o係北二条住o既 roommates... （你o地如果仲記得, 我o係京城時同2個分別係韓國妹妹同埋內蒙妹妹同住), 兩年後, 終於實行o左呢個承諾了！
都唔係第一次去韓國啦，個人唔係太喜歡 Seoul 呢個地方， 唔係佢唔好，只係，無咩特色... 同香港差不多... 所以，今次11月底o既呢個5天韓國旅程，對我o黎講，主要目的都真係同两個妹妹聚舊一番~
来到 Seoul o既第一日, 只有我同埋内蒙妹妹 (簡稱 A），而韓國妹妹（簡稱 S）因為有事做，所以第二天先會 join 我o地。 一年無見 A，因為佢最近工作壓力特别大，所以有一 d 健康問题，心情不太好。我两晚上10點多随便搵o左一間小店，食o左煲熱辣辣o既豆腐煲，傾o下計，雖然好耐無見，仲係可以無所不談，舊朋友在彼邦相聚，樂事也。
第二日，當我同 A 預備落樓逛逛o既時候，電梯門一開，竟然係 S，以前就係瞓o係我隔壁o既妹妹，以前總係好似學生那樣上课下课o既摸樣，而家，成熟o左好多，穿上米色大衣，深色的長褲，頭髮绑到後面，睇落去，真係有一秒o既時間，認唔出佢... 哈哈〜
時間，真係可以將一切從此變得不再一樣~
呢一日，S带我o地去o左昌德宫，梨泰院，3D博物馆等旅游景點，晚上我o地坐火車回到佢
靠近郊區o既屋企... 佢同我o地講，o係韓國租房，都唔係容易o既事，你要先付上2年o既租金，如果無足够o既钱，就要向银行贷款吧... 唉，點解，房屋呢個問题，不論o係香港，中國定係韓國，對大家o黎講，都係o甘艱難o既一件事？？
o係火車上，我o地三個各自坐着，感觉有點累，睇住呢两個妹妹，好似大家生活得都很不容易，回想起3年前o係北京o既學生生活，大家開開心心，輕輕鬆鬆o甘，真係有點感概。。。 可能，人長大o左，大家都無可避免o甘要為生活营营役役，随波逐流...
S 而家o係韓國南恰島o既花家怡園做店長佢o係中國2年學o既中文，總算無浪费 = P 第三四日，我同 A 就跟住佢去南恰島玩，呢個小岛, 我倒是有點期望，應该會好舒服，好漂亮吧！
坐火車到o左近南恰島o既站，跟住仲要搭 taxi 去碼頭，再坐船先可以到岛上，確實好迂回... o係船o既時候，已经可以feel 到 S 很緊張，並無任何笑容，我問佢做咩事，係唔係唔舒服，佢就話每一次返工，都會精神壓力好大，因為實在有太多太多o既事等住佢去處理... 有d 抖不過氣o既感觉... 唉，睇到佢o甘樣， I don't know... 真係覺得好可悲，曾經好有夢想o既一個女孩，就係因為生活， 被折磨到o甘樣... 现實，真係讓人唔可以開懷嗎？
o係南恰島o既两日，S 都真係非常忙碌，完全無時間陪我o地玩，佢自己都話，o係度工作o左2年多，都無去過岛上o既旅游地點， 聽到都覺得有 d 無奈 -_- 南恰島其實真係一個好舒服o既地方, 到處都係樹林，湖泊，小屋，游客可以好逍遥自在o甘係岛上享受；可憐我o既韓國妹妹，要不停o既工作到晚上，10 點多先可以處理完公事收工...
旅游同埋生活，真係對立呢~
最後一日，两個妹妹搭船送我出岛外，因為我要先返香港，A仲會留係韓國多4 日，臨别在巴士站，我同佢o地2個講：希望大家唔好生活得太辛苦， 期待下一次o既重遇。。。
但願我o地三個o係往後o既日子中，可以活出我o地想活出o既生活吧~
都唔係第一次去韓國啦，個人唔係太喜歡 Seoul 呢個地方， 唔係佢唔好，只係，無咩特色... 同香港差不多... 所以，今次11月底o既呢個5天韓國旅程，對我o黎講，主要目的都真係同两個妹妹聚舊一番~
来到 Seoul o既第一日, 只有我同埋内蒙妹妹 (簡稱 A），而韓國妹妹（簡稱 S）因為有事做，所以第二天先會 join 我o地。 一年無見 A，因為佢最近工作壓力特别大，所以有一 d 健康問题，心情不太好。我两晚上10點多随便搵o左一間小店，食o左煲熱辣辣o既豆腐煲，傾o下計，雖然好耐無見，仲係可以無所不談，舊朋友在彼邦相聚，樂事也。
第二日，當我同 A 預備落樓逛逛o既時候，電梯門一開，竟然係 S，以前就係瞓o係我隔壁o既妹妹，以前總係好似學生那樣上课下课o既摸樣，而家，成熟o左好多，穿上米色大衣，深色的長褲，頭髮绑到後面，睇落去，真係有一秒o既時間，認唔出佢... 哈哈〜
時間，真係可以將一切從此變得不再一樣~
呢一日，S带我o地去o左昌德宫，梨泰院，3D博物馆等旅游景點，晚上我o地坐火車回到佢
靠近郊區o既屋企... 佢同我o地講，o係韓國租房，都唔係容易o既事，你要先付上2年o既租金，如果無足够o既钱，就要向银行贷款吧... 唉，點解，房屋呢個問题，不論o係香港，中國定係韓國，對大家o黎講，都係o甘艱難o既一件事？？
o係火車上，我o地三個各自坐着，感觉有點累，睇住呢两個妹妹，好似大家生活得都很不容易，回想起3年前o係北京o既學生生活，大家開開心心，輕輕鬆鬆o甘，真係有點感概。。。 可能，人長大o左，大家都無可避免o甘要為生活营营役役，随波逐流...
S 而家o係韓國南恰島o既花家怡園做店長佢o係中國2年學o既中文，總算無浪费 = P 第三四日，我同 A 就跟住佢去南恰島玩，呢個小岛, 我倒是有點期望，應该會好舒服，好漂亮吧！
坐火車到o左近南恰島o既站，跟住仲要搭 taxi 去碼頭，再坐船先可以到岛上，確實好迂回... o係船o既時候，已经可以feel 到 S 很緊張，並無任何笑容，我問佢做咩事，係唔係唔舒服，佢就話每一次返工，都會精神壓力好大，因為實在有太多太多o既事等住佢去處理... 有d 抖不過氣o既感觉... 唉，睇到佢o甘樣， I don't know... 真係覺得好可悲，曾經好有夢想o既一個女孩，就係因為生活， 被折磨到o甘樣... 现實，真係讓人唔可以開懷嗎？
o係南恰島o既两日，S 都真係非常忙碌，完全無時間陪我o地玩，佢自己都話，o係度工作o左2年多，都無去過岛上o既旅游地點， 聽到都覺得有 d 無奈 -_- 南恰島其實真係一個好舒服o既地方, 到處都係樹林，湖泊，小屋，游客可以好逍遥自在o甘係岛上享受；可憐我o既韓國妹妹，要不停o既工作到晚上，10 點多先可以處理完公事收工...
旅游同埋生活，真係對立呢~
最後一日，两個妹妹搭船送我出岛外，因為我要先返香港，A仲會留係韓國多4 日，臨别在巴士站，我同佢o地2個講：希望大家唔好生活得太辛苦， 期待下一次o既重遇。。。
但願我o地三個o係往後o既日子中，可以活出我o地想活出o既生活吧~
2013年12月4日 星期三
10 Reasons Why Traveling Makes You A Better Person
Read this online @ Dec 5, 2013
If you have the opportunity to pack your bags and go, do it. Go alone if you have to.
Don’t do it for vacation. Don’t do it for luxury. Don’t do it to take pictures for your Instagram account. Do it because it will make you a better person.
And here’s why:
1. Learning to be alone.
Have lunch with yourself. Sit with your thoughts and be okay with them, whatever they are. Love yourself whole-heartedly, especially in times of solitude. And when you think you can’t sit alone any longer, order coffee and a dessert.
2. Relying on the kindness of strangers.
Foreignness does not prevent random acts of kindness. Accept them. Give them. Appreciate them.
3. Learning to live with less.
This does not mean claiming hardship. Let this manifest in small ways. Recognize your fortunes. Be humbled.
4. Learning that plans change and you will have to adapt.
Itineraries are guidelines, not rigid measurements of experience. The best experiences are often not scheduled or anticipated. Expect the unexpected and learn to love it.
5. Enjoying the moment.
Forget the missed bus and enjoy the culture that can be experienced in one hour waiting at a bus stop. Stay in the present.
6. Forces you out of your comfort zone.
Practice speaking that language you learned. Try the cow tongue. Make new friends.
7. Learning to be patient.
Don’t rush through the museum. Don’t rush through your meal. Don’t bounce your leg up and down or roll your eyes. Don’t yell at anyone for reading the map wrong and getting lost. Don’t worry, you’ll get there.
8. Learning you can’t assume.
Try looking at things a different way. Ask questions. Let this open up a new realm of thought and possibility.
9. Missing home.
Appreciate family, friends, and loved ones. Appreciate the comfort of mundane routines. Find a new found respect for the life you often wish to escape.
10. Goodbye is not forever, life has endless possibilities.
Family becomes more than just blood. Never say goodbye to the people you meet and the places you see. Cherish the new families and homes you’ve gained. Keep in touch and look back with fond memories from time to time.
If you have the opportunity to pack your bags and go, do it. Go alone if you have to.
Don’t do it for vacation. Don’t do it for luxury. Don’t do it to take pictures for your Instagram account. Do it because it will make you a better person.
And here’s why:
1. Learning to be alone.
Have lunch with yourself. Sit with your thoughts and be okay with them, whatever they are. Love yourself whole-heartedly, especially in times of solitude. And when you think you can’t sit alone any longer, order coffee and a dessert.
2. Relying on the kindness of strangers.
Foreignness does not prevent random acts of kindness. Accept them. Give them. Appreciate them.
3. Learning to live with less.
This does not mean claiming hardship. Let this manifest in small ways. Recognize your fortunes. Be humbled.
4. Learning that plans change and you will have to adapt.
Itineraries are guidelines, not rigid measurements of experience. The best experiences are often not scheduled or anticipated. Expect the unexpected and learn to love it.
5. Enjoying the moment.
Forget the missed bus and enjoy the culture that can be experienced in one hour waiting at a bus stop. Stay in the present.
6. Forces you out of your comfort zone.
Practice speaking that language you learned. Try the cow tongue. Make new friends.
7. Learning to be patient.
Don’t rush through the museum. Don’t rush through your meal. Don’t bounce your leg up and down or roll your eyes. Don’t yell at anyone for reading the map wrong and getting lost. Don’t worry, you’ll get there.
8. Learning you can’t assume.
Try looking at things a different way. Ask questions. Let this open up a new realm of thought and possibility.
9. Missing home.
Appreciate family, friends, and loved ones. Appreciate the comfort of mundane routines. Find a new found respect for the life you often wish to escape.
10. Goodbye is not forever, life has endless possibilities.
Family becomes more than just blood. Never say goodbye to the people you meet and the places you see. Cherish the new families and homes you’ve gained. Keep in touch and look back with fond memories from time to time.
2013年11月28日 星期四
老闆睇你唔順眼6種表現
My friend sent me this article today @ November 22, 2013
「老闆」，可能是世界上最難服侍的生物。你「順毛梳」，他不是嫌你隨波逐流，就是發晦氣說「請你返嚟係想你畀啲新思維我地」；你一言九「頂」，他就說你社交障礙養不熟。打工仔個個日日微臣惶恐，到底是不是這樣的老闆才會這樣的不妥我？
高深莫測的老闆喜怒不形於色，破口大罵未必是針對，而笑口噬噬亦不一定就歡喜。佢鍾意我？佢唔順超我？與其摘花瓣問卜，倒不如確切留意一下他對你的反常態度或行動，出現以下情況的話，身為打工仔的你就要「睇路」︰
1/ 當你妹仔咁使
無論是斟茶遞水，還是將衣物拿去洗衣舖乾洗，老闆都欽賜你全權負責。有可能因為他對你全然信任，毫無芥蒂；但若然堂堂Manager卻只被委派去做此等芝麻綠豆事，而公事上卻謝絕染指，那麼他不是看你不順眼，就是睇你唔上眼（私人褓母等除外）。
2/ 當眾侮辱你
做錯事，被罵被批評就當袋錢落袋，同一個錯誤不要錯超過一次，不過前提是光明磊落。尖酸刻薄的用字，人家私底下分享就當眼不見為淨；但當眾侮辱，有理或無理都No way。不是叫你去以牙還牙、對罵或單打，而是要在適當的時候說不，保護自己。施虐者固然無品，而受虐一方選擇默默承受的話，就別抱怨個天虧欠你。
3/ 雞蛋裡面挑骨頭
錯！唔係咁！改咗佢！又錯！都話唔係咁！再改！又係錯！唔要！……一份簡單文件改到ver.155.4.12.24.9.521，除了「錯」和「再做」之外，老闆再沒有提出比較不虛的實質評語或指引，即使他沒有睇你唔順眼，相信你亦不會頂得順吧！
4/ 將你拒諸門外
當老闆下旨，一切會議你行人止步、所有文件對你來說都highly confidential、任何議案你都無得Say no……你就知道，他有幾不想將你見到。點算？先自我檢討，然後找個中間人坦誠地談談，見步行步。不然，hea下去亦沒意思。
5/ 唔使你做嘢
別以為老闆大幅減少你的工作是愛錫你的表現，老闆不是母親大人，大概不會肉赤你工作辛勞或沒錢開飯。這一刻他唔使你做，是因為以後都唔使你做——你唔使做了。試想想，難道他每個月出糧給你是因為不捨得你捱餓嗎？建議盡量做好手上工作，重建老闆對你的信心。
6/ 你搵佢唔到
比「唔使你做」更高層次，是當你無到。當有人以為老闆「日捽夜捽」、甚麼都要管、甚麼都說行不通很難頂的時候，一山還有一山高——完全無feedback，十問九唔應，甚至早一個月約他開會，他總諸多推搪或臨時「甩底」。身為打工仔，要不想辦法「破冰」，要不自求多福。
死啦死啦！唔通老闆真係唔鍾意我？稍安勿躁，一個人無論如何都不能討好所有人，做好件事，對得住天地對得起自己，比甚麼都重要。捱過這一關，就當是磨練。世事很奇妙，你口口聲聲說捱不住了，捱下捱下，原來已經不知不覺到山頂，另有一番景象。
一句講晒︰不管老闆嫌不嫌棄你，打工仔都要記住，天生我才必有用，每個人都有可取的地方。不要否定自己，先評估一下老闆的「不順眼」來得有沒有道理。有道理的話，就爭取機會鞭策自己，跌下就識行；無理取鬧或純粹一男（女）子因素的話，大可以講聲多謝，然後抽身byebye。沒必要動氣，亦沒有傷心的餘地。人夾人緣，這個老闆夾不來，就找另一個。留得熱血在，那怕無工返。
PS︰老闆呀老闆，員工是你雪亮的眼睛請回來的，要他們更上進，不必下下採取高壓手段。要大家天天驚弓之鳥般開工，何苦？
「老闆」，可能是世界上最難服侍的生物。你「順毛梳」，他不是嫌你隨波逐流，就是發晦氣說「請你返嚟係想你畀啲新思維我地」；你一言九「頂」，他就說你社交障礙養不熟。打工仔個個日日微臣惶恐，到底是不是這樣的老闆才會這樣的不妥我？
高深莫測的老闆喜怒不形於色，破口大罵未必是針對，而笑口噬噬亦不一定就歡喜。佢鍾意我？佢唔順超我？與其摘花瓣問卜，倒不如確切留意一下他對你的反常態度或行動，出現以下情況的話，身為打工仔的你就要「睇路」︰
1/ 當你妹仔咁使
無論是斟茶遞水，還是將衣物拿去洗衣舖乾洗，老闆都欽賜你全權負責。有可能因為他對你全然信任，毫無芥蒂；但若然堂堂Manager卻只被委派去做此等芝麻綠豆事，而公事上卻謝絕染指，那麼他不是看你不順眼，就是睇你唔上眼（私人褓母等除外）。
2/ 當眾侮辱你
做錯事，被罵被批評就當袋錢落袋，同一個錯誤不要錯超過一次，不過前提是光明磊落。尖酸刻薄的用字，人家私底下分享就當眼不見為淨；但當眾侮辱，有理或無理都No way。不是叫你去以牙還牙、對罵或單打，而是要在適當的時候說不，保護自己。施虐者固然無品，而受虐一方選擇默默承受的話，就別抱怨個天虧欠你。
3/ 雞蛋裡面挑骨頭
錯！唔係咁！改咗佢！又錯！都話唔係咁！再改！又係錯！唔要！……一份簡單文件改到ver.155.4.12.24.9.521，除了「錯」和「再做」之外，老闆再沒有提出比較不虛的實質評語或指引，即使他沒有睇你唔順眼，相信你亦不會頂得順吧！
4/ 將你拒諸門外
當老闆下旨，一切會議你行人止步、所有文件對你來說都highly confidential、任何議案你都無得Say no……你就知道，他有幾不想將你見到。點算？先自我檢討，然後找個中間人坦誠地談談，見步行步。不然，hea下去亦沒意思。
5/ 唔使你做嘢
別以為老闆大幅減少你的工作是愛錫你的表現，老闆不是母親大人，大概不會肉赤你工作辛勞或沒錢開飯。這一刻他唔使你做，是因為以後都唔使你做——你唔使做了。試想想，難道他每個月出糧給你是因為不捨得你捱餓嗎？建議盡量做好手上工作，重建老闆對你的信心。
6/ 你搵佢唔到
比「唔使你做」更高層次，是當你無到。當有人以為老闆「日捽夜捽」、甚麼都要管、甚麼都說行不通很難頂的時候，一山還有一山高——完全無feedback，十問九唔應，甚至早一個月約他開會，他總諸多推搪或臨時「甩底」。身為打工仔，要不想辦法「破冰」，要不自求多福。
死啦死啦！唔通老闆真係唔鍾意我？稍安勿躁，一個人無論如何都不能討好所有人，做好件事，對得住天地對得起自己，比甚麼都重要。捱過這一關，就當是磨練。世事很奇妙，你口口聲聲說捱不住了，捱下捱下，原來已經不知不覺到山頂，另有一番景象。
一句講晒︰不管老闆嫌不嫌棄你，打工仔都要記住，天生我才必有用，每個人都有可取的地方。不要否定自己，先評估一下老闆的「不順眼」來得有沒有道理。有道理的話，就爭取機會鞭策自己，跌下就識行；無理取鬧或純粹一男（女）子因素的話，大可以講聲多謝，然後抽身byebye。沒必要動氣，亦沒有傷心的餘地。人夾人緣，這個老闆夾不來，就找另一個。留得熱血在，那怕無工返。
PS︰老闆呀老闆，員工是你雪亮的眼睛請回來的，要他們更上進，不必下下採取高壓手段。要大家天天驚弓之鳥般開工，何苦？
2013年11月21日 星期四
I-Bank Reality
Read this on Bloomberg today... I like the perspective of the author = )
McKinsey Tells Banks to Focus on Making Money
One of my great skills as an investment banker was saying no. Clients or other bankers would come to me and say "oh, can we do this ridiculous thing?" and I would say "no" or "no you dummy" or "that's a really interesting idea, let me take it back to my team," or whatever the context-appropriate version of "no" was. And then the ridiculous idea would never darken my door again and I could get back to the important business of pitching people on my ridiculous ideas.
This, it turns out, is not a universally valued skill in investment banking. There are good reasons for that. For one thing, most of the money in investment banking has historically been made by going and doing ridiculous-sounding things. "What if we packaged mortgages into bonds?," someone once said. The success rate is low, but the rewards to success are high, so you take every opportunity seriously even if it's pretty stupid.
For another thing, investment banking has a … culture. A culture of punching yourself in the face for client-service and looking-busy reasons, mostly.2 That's why bankers work 120 hours a week and are on call all the time: because if a client wants something, you drop everything and get it to her as quickly as possible and in a way that exceeds her expectations. "Where did my stock close today?," a CEO will ask, and two minutes later you'll email her back a 20-page presentation with charts of her stock's performance, comparisons to her peers, and an LBO analysis. And she'll be like "umm thanks I guess, I just wanted the price really, but I see it's in here."
Obviously, you will not charge her for this presentation. The idea is that by punching yourself in the face frequently and enthusiastically for the client, you will earn her respect and/or pity, and she will one day hire you to do a fairly simple thing like manage her initial public offering. Then she will pay you an amount of money that is (1) quite large and (2) entirely unrelated to the difficulty or effort of managing the IPO. You're not really getting paid for the IPO, though; you're getting paid for the relationship.
That's the model -- do a lot of pointless work and occasionally have it pay off massively. Anything you do for any client can be justified as relationship-building. "Well but they've literally never paid us a penny in the entire 10 years we've been calling on them." "Yes but that's because the relationship wasn't strong enough!" Etc.
So if you went to the typical senior investment banker and asked him, "would you prioritize providing high-value services to top-tier clients, or high-value services to second-tier clients, or low-value services to top-tier clients, or low-value services to second-tier clients," he would say "Yes!" and think himself pretty clever. And if you asked him, "should we do any sort of rigorous data-driven analysis of which of the services we're offering are actually profitable for us," he'd say "yes, you should absolutely do that, have it on my desk by morning, but don't expect us to actually stop doing any services just because they're unprofitable."
I have mixed feelings about this McKinsey report on global banking! McKinsey is after all McKinsey, not a bank, and so its people are pretty into things like efficiency and telling other companies how to run their businesses, and less into things like doing tons of uncompensated work. (Except this report I mean.) They are worried about the large global capital-markets banks, whose return on equity is below their cost of capital and getting lower. And their advice is in part: Maybe you should think about what you're doing instead of just, y'know, doing all of everything.
So the report says that "scarce resources" should be "allocated to the clients that have the potential to generate attractive returns," with less focus on clients who don't, y'know, pay. "Less focus" not just in the sense of "work for those clients between 1 and 4 a.m."; "less focus" in the sense of call centers:
They have a similar view on product proliferation:
On the other hand, it's hard to say that McKinsey is wrong here. In particular the last few years have seen a number of large global banks scaling back their focus on doing everything for everyone, with JPMorgan getting out of student loans, UBS scaling back investment banking, and Morgan Stanley shifting toward asset management. Presumably those decisions are driven by sober, serious, post-bubble reflection about what businesses at what banks can earn their cost of capital.
Most interesting, though, might be Goldman Sachs's decision -- which, sure, I have gently mocked -- to tell junior bankers to go home sometimes. Whatever this decision says about falling deal volumes or recruiting competition, it marks a big cultural shift simply by telling bankers that sometimes it's okay to say no: that the way to evaluate an assignment is "is it necessary?" or "is it profitable?" rather than just "did someone ask me to do it?" And that cultural shift seems to be in the air: Goldman is trying to answer those questions for its analysts and associates just as McKinsey is suggesting that the big banks need to start asking those questions for themselves.
McKinsey Tells Banks to Focus on Making Money
One of my great skills as an investment banker was saying no. Clients or other bankers would come to me and say "oh, can we do this ridiculous thing?" and I would say "no" or "no you dummy" or "that's a really interesting idea, let me take it back to my team," or whatever the context-appropriate version of "no" was. And then the ridiculous idea would never darken my door again and I could get back to the important business of pitching people on my ridiculous ideas.
This, it turns out, is not a universally valued skill in investment banking. There are good reasons for that. For one thing, most of the money in investment banking has historically been made by going and doing ridiculous-sounding things. "What if we packaged mortgages into bonds?," someone once said. The success rate is low, but the rewards to success are high, so you take every opportunity seriously even if it's pretty stupid.
For another thing, investment banking has a … culture. A culture of punching yourself in the face for client-service and looking-busy reasons, mostly.2 That's why bankers work 120 hours a week and are on call all the time: because if a client wants something, you drop everything and get it to her as quickly as possible and in a way that exceeds her expectations. "Where did my stock close today?," a CEO will ask, and two minutes later you'll email her back a 20-page presentation with charts of her stock's performance, comparisons to her peers, and an LBO analysis. And she'll be like "umm thanks I guess, I just wanted the price really, but I see it's in here."
Obviously, you will not charge her for this presentation. The idea is that by punching yourself in the face frequently and enthusiastically for the client, you will earn her respect and/or pity, and she will one day hire you to do a fairly simple thing like manage her initial public offering. Then she will pay you an amount of money that is (1) quite large and (2) entirely unrelated to the difficulty or effort of managing the IPO. You're not really getting paid for the IPO, though; you're getting paid for the relationship.
That's the model -- do a lot of pointless work and occasionally have it pay off massively. Anything you do for any client can be justified as relationship-building. "Well but they've literally never paid us a penny in the entire 10 years we've been calling on them." "Yes but that's because the relationship wasn't strong enough!" Etc.
So if you went to the typical senior investment banker and asked him, "would you prioritize providing high-value services to top-tier clients, or high-value services to second-tier clients, or low-value services to top-tier clients, or low-value services to second-tier clients," he would say "Yes!" and think himself pretty clever. And if you asked him, "should we do any sort of rigorous data-driven analysis of which of the services we're offering are actually profitable for us," he'd say "yes, you should absolutely do that, have it on my desk by morning, but don't expect us to actually stop doing any services just because they're unprofitable."
I have mixed feelings about this McKinsey report on global banking! McKinsey is after all McKinsey, not a bank, and so its people are pretty into things like efficiency and telling other companies how to run their businesses, and less into things like doing tons of uncompensated work. (Except this report I mean.) They are worried about the large global capital-markets banks, whose return on equity is below their cost of capital and getting lower. And their advice is in part: Maybe you should think about what you're doing instead of just, y'know, doing all of everything.
So the report says that "scarce resources" should be "allocated to the clients that have the potential to generate attractive returns," with less focus on clients who don't, y'know, pay. "Less focus" not just in the sense of "work for those clients between 1 and 4 a.m."; "less focus" in the sense of call centers:
This means migrating clients to full electronic platforms where possible, experimenting with in- and out-bound call centers in lower-cost near-shore locations for client-facing sales, and restricting RWA and balance-sheet allocation.I will not opine on the feasibility of replacing bond salesmen with an 800 number to a "lower-cost near-shore location," but I suspect it'd be bad for morale.
They have a similar view on product proliferation:
For example, banks often offer multiple minor variations of the same product, designed to attract marginal income in a particular asset class or to cater to a specific client. These products often do not attract enough volume to justify their cost.So what do you think? On the one hand, just yesterday I was defending the irrational in finance. Efficiency and profitability and ROE are fine for consultants, but global banks answer to a higher authority. That higher authority being "do crazy stuff because maybe it's good for the economy somehow," I don't know. But also: What is the point of working in finance if it isn't fun?3 Getting a better understanding of front-to-back economics through the life cycle before pitching a crazy new product does not seem fun.
Banks must initially undertake a one-off simplification and rationalization exercise, with a view to cutting out dead wood and reducing costs. For example, the ongoing standardization of OTC derivatives provides a great opportunity to drastically simplify the product set in that space. This effort should start with liquid rates products in the United States. For bespoke and complex products, a better understanding is required of front-to-back economics through the lifecycle before a decision is made on whether the products make economic sense.
On the other hand, it's hard to say that McKinsey is wrong here. In particular the last few years have seen a number of large global banks scaling back their focus on doing everything for everyone, with JPMorgan getting out of student loans, UBS scaling back investment banking, and Morgan Stanley shifting toward asset management. Presumably those decisions are driven by sober, serious, post-bubble reflection about what businesses at what banks can earn their cost of capital.
Most interesting, though, might be Goldman Sachs's decision -- which, sure, I have gently mocked -- to tell junior bankers to go home sometimes. Whatever this decision says about falling deal volumes or recruiting competition, it marks a big cultural shift simply by telling bankers that sometimes it's okay to say no: that the way to evaluate an assignment is "is it necessary?" or "is it profitable?" rather than just "did someone ask me to do it?" And that cultural shift seems to be in the air: Goldman is trying to answer those questions for its analysts and associates just as McKinsey is suggesting that the big banks need to start asking those questions for themselves.
2013年11月5日 星期二
Perfect Job at Google?
Read this online today @ Nov 6, 2013
筍工反叫苦 員工數Google六罪
Google向以人工高、福利好見稱，更五度蟬聯人力資源公司Universum的「全球五十大最具吸引力僱主」榜首，是大學生夢寐以求的筍工，但多名前員工在網誌Quora抱怨公司福利，力數Google六宗「罪」。
罪狀一 免費食物太多
曾在班加羅爾辦公室工作的前員工留言，指「任職期間足足胖了十八公斤。」雖然辦公室設健身室，但食物無處不在，令他們於沉悶或思考時，不自覺愈吃愈多。化名拉基的前員工則指，大多數人也會增磅五至十五磅。
罪狀二 按摩椅太吵
有匿名人士表示，蘇黎世辦公室設有員工休息室，但「有過百封投訴電郵要求移走那裏的按摩椅，因為按摩椅太嘈，令他們睡不着。」
罪狀三 難找安靜地方
公司的開放式設計，亦令員工難找到獨立空間或辦公室，安靜地自己進行工作或思考。
罪狀四 工作欠挑戰性
這是最常見的投訴，「糖衣裏包着的是沉悶工作和欠缺發揮機會。」最需要用腦的時候，卻只是於見工時。
罪狀五 員工太優秀
由於Google人才濟濟，即使是哈佛大學等名校畢業生，也只能擔任普通工作，甚至難獲晉升機會。
罪狀六 新人要拍馬屁
皮爾指，新人會被稱為「New Googler」或「Newgler」。要打成一片，需事無大小也要興奮歡呼，當上司進入會議室時暗叫「whoops」的人。
筍工反叫苦 員工數Google六罪
Google向以人工高、福利好見稱，更五度蟬聯人力資源公司Universum的「全球五十大最具吸引力僱主」榜首，是大學生夢寐以求的筍工，但多名前員工在網誌Quora抱怨公司福利，力數Google六宗「罪」。
罪狀一 免費食物太多
曾在班加羅爾辦公室工作的前員工留言，指「任職期間足足胖了十八公斤。」雖然辦公室設健身室，但食物無處不在，令他們於沉悶或思考時，不自覺愈吃愈多。化名拉基的前員工則指，大多數人也會增磅五至十五磅。
罪狀二 按摩椅太吵
有匿名人士表示，蘇黎世辦公室設有員工休息室，但「有過百封投訴電郵要求移走那裏的按摩椅，因為按摩椅太嘈，令他們睡不着。」
罪狀三 難找安靜地方
公司的開放式設計，亦令員工難找到獨立空間或辦公室，安靜地自己進行工作或思考。
罪狀四 工作欠挑戰性
這是最常見的投訴，「糖衣裏包着的是沉悶工作和欠缺發揮機會。」最需要用腦的時候，卻只是於見工時。
罪狀五 員工太優秀
由於Google人才濟濟，即使是哈佛大學等名校畢業生，也只能擔任普通工作，甚至難獲晉升機會。
罪狀六 新人要拍馬屁
皮爾指，新人會被稱為「New Googler」或「Newgler」。要打成一片，需事無大小也要興奮歡呼，當上司進入會議室時暗叫「whoops」的人。
2013年11月4日 星期一
西柚減肥餐單
日本醫院*減肥*餐單 日本減肥法, 二星期內減10kg
第一天
早餐﹕熟蛋一隻、西柚一個、方飽一塊、茶
午餐﹕熟蛋一隻、蕃茄一個、茶
晚餐﹕豆腐，(青瓜、紅蘿蔔、西芹等做成醋味沙律)、茶
第二天
早餐﹕熟蛋一隻、西柚一個、方飽一塊、茶
午餐﹕熟蛋一隻、西柚一個、茶
晚餐﹕牛排，(蕃茄、西芹等做成的醋味沙律)、茶
第三天
早餐﹕熟蛋一隻、西柚一個、方飽一塊、茶
午餐﹕蔬菜沙律、西柚一個、方飽一塊、茶
晚餐﹕豆腐，燒雞，(蕃茄、西芹等做成醋味沙律)，茶
第四天
早餐﹕熟蛋一隻、西柚一個、方飽一塊、茶
午餐﹕蔬菜沙律、西柚一個、方飽一塊、茶
晚餐﹕豆腐，芝士，菠菜，茶
第五天
早餐﹕熟蛋一隻、西柚一個、方飽一塊、茶
午餐﹕熟蛋一隻、菠菜，方飽一塊，茶
晚餐﹕魚，菠菜沙律，方飽二塊，茶
第六天
早餐﹕熟蛋一隻、西柚一個、方飽一塊、茶
午餐﹕生果，菜用罐頭，茶
晚餐﹕牛排，(蕃茄、西芹等做成的醋味沙律)、茶
第七天
早餐﹕熟蛋一隻、西柚一個、方飽一塊、茶
午餐﹕凍燒雞，蕃茄，西柚一個，茶
晚餐﹕蔬菜湯，燒雞，蕃茄，椰菜，西芹等，西柚一個，茶
日本國立醫院的減肥方法
這減肥餐在二星期內將體內組織經化學變化而起作用，食量多少全無關係，但必須嚴守食譜內指定的食物進食，因事故中途停企時請再從新進行，為期二星期，可減至10kg，完成這減肥方法後因體內組織已變化，除了必需的營養外對多餘的物質不會吸收，增肥的機會減少，只要減少進食殿粉質食物便會控制體重。
注意事項
1. 沙律中不能加沙律醬或有油的調味料，蔬菜最好煮熟加豉油或醋
2. 菜或咖啡不能加糖，奶
3. 肉類可燒或煮熟，不能用油
4. 魚可食魚生或蒸或煮
5. 盡量少用鹽調味(為了不能飲大量水，八杯內)
6. 雞約雞脾一隻，牛肉約80-200g(每個人7安士)
7. 雞蛋要全熟，二個亦可
8. 任何調味都不能加糖，以淡味為主，避免多渴水
9. 方飽的厚一塊20mm
10.可做大菜糕來頂肚餓或香口膠(無糖)
備註﹕早晚必須記載體重，就算數日毫無成績亦不用心急，十日後必有驚人的效果。
第一天
早餐﹕熟蛋一隻、西柚一個、方飽一塊、茶
午餐﹕熟蛋一隻、蕃茄一個、茶
晚餐﹕豆腐，(青瓜、紅蘿蔔、西芹等做成醋味沙律)、茶
第二天
早餐﹕熟蛋一隻、西柚一個、方飽一塊、茶
午餐﹕熟蛋一隻、西柚一個、茶
晚餐﹕牛排，(蕃茄、西芹等做成的醋味沙律)、茶
第三天
早餐﹕熟蛋一隻、西柚一個、方飽一塊、茶
午餐﹕蔬菜沙律、西柚一個、方飽一塊、茶
晚餐﹕豆腐，燒雞，(蕃茄、西芹等做成醋味沙律)，茶
第四天
早餐﹕熟蛋一隻、西柚一個、方飽一塊、茶
午餐﹕蔬菜沙律、西柚一個、方飽一塊、茶
晚餐﹕豆腐，芝士，菠菜，茶
第五天
早餐﹕熟蛋一隻、西柚一個、方飽一塊、茶
午餐﹕熟蛋一隻、菠菜，方飽一塊，茶
晚餐﹕魚，菠菜沙律，方飽二塊，茶
第六天
早餐﹕熟蛋一隻、西柚一個、方飽一塊、茶
午餐﹕生果，菜用罐頭，茶
晚餐﹕牛排，(蕃茄、西芹等做成的醋味沙律)、茶
第七天
早餐﹕熟蛋一隻、西柚一個、方飽一塊、茶
午餐﹕凍燒雞，蕃茄，西柚一個，茶
晚餐﹕蔬菜湯，燒雞，蕃茄，椰菜，西芹等，西柚一個，茶
日本國立醫院的減肥方法
這減肥餐在二星期內將體內組織經化學變化而起作用，食量多少全無關係，但必須嚴守食譜內指定的食物進食，因事故中途停企時請再從新進行，為期二星期，可減至10kg，完成這減肥方法後因體內組織已變化，除了必需的營養外對多餘的物質不會吸收，增肥的機會減少，只要減少進食殿粉質食物便會控制體重。
注意事項
1. 沙律中不能加沙律醬或有油的調味料，蔬菜最好煮熟加豉油或醋
2. 菜或咖啡不能加糖，奶
3. 肉類可燒或煮熟，不能用油
4. 魚可食魚生或蒸或煮
5. 盡量少用鹽調味(為了不能飲大量水，八杯內)
6. 雞約雞脾一隻，牛肉約80-200g(每個人7安士)
7. 雞蛋要全熟，二個亦可
8. 任何調味都不能加糖，以淡味為主，避免多渴水
9. 方飽的厚一塊20mm
10.可做大菜糕來頂肚餓或香口膠(無糖)
備註﹕早晚必須記載體重，就算數日毫無成績亦不用心急，十日後必有驚人的效果。
2013年10月29日 星期二
走過鱷魚橋
Come across this article today... really really nice piece... would like to share with my reader:
一天，幾個學生向美國著名的心理學家弗洛姆請教：心態對
弗洛姆微微一笑，一句話也不說，把他們帶到一間黑暗的房
接著，弗洛姆打開房間裡的一盞燈，這盞燈暗淡昏黃，光線
“我們剛才是怎麼過來的？”同學們更加驚異了。原來，在
停了一會兒，弗洛姆問：“谁愿意再一次走過這座橋？”大
“啪”，弗洛姆又打開了房間裡的另外幾盞燈，強烈的燈光
“原來老師是在考驗我們。”同學們不禁輕鬆地笑了。
弗洛姆又問：“現在，谁愿意通過這座小橋？\"
同學們相視一笑，一個個爭先恐後地通過了小橋。
“你們不是問什麼叫心態嗎，現在我可以告訴你們了，”弗
在我們的現實生活中，有的人總是面帶微笑，笑對人生；有
一天，幾個學生向美國著名的心理學家弗洛姆請教：心態對
弗洛姆微微一笑，一句話也不說，把他們帶到一間黑暗的房
接著，弗洛姆打開房間裡的一盞燈，這盞燈暗淡昏黃，光線
“我們剛才是怎麼過來的？”同學們更加驚異了。原來，在
停了一會兒，弗洛姆問：“谁愿意再一次走過這座橋？”大
“啪”，弗洛姆又打開了房間裡的另外幾盞燈，強烈的燈光
“原來老師是在考驗我們。”同學們不禁輕鬆地笑了。
弗洛姆又問：“現在，谁愿意通過這座小橋？\"
同學們相視一笑，一個個爭先恐後地通過了小橋。
“你們不是問什麼叫心態嗎，現在我可以告訴你們了，”弗
在我們的現實生活中，有的人總是面帶微笑，笑對人生；有
2013年10月21日 星期一
5 Things Mentally Tough People Don’t Do
Am really upset about the work situation lately, and my friend sent me this link... well, I am pretty sure that I am not mentally strong... maybe I need to learn from it!!
Are you mentally tough enough?
1) They don’t feel sorry for themselves
They understand that complaining doesn’t make the situation better.
They know that people won’t treat them they way they want to be treated, circumstances might not be ideal, and they will experience adversity; however, rather than complain about the negative aspects of their situation, they focus on what they want to happen and what they’re going to do about it.
2) They don’t give people power over them
They are not people pleasers.
They are relentless in their pursuit of their passion and aren’t worried about what other people think.
They give power to what they focus on, and if they waste their time focusing on the opinions of others, they lose sight of the things that will make them truly successful.
3) They don’t avoid change
They are always looking for ways to evolve. They believe that if they continue to give their best, their best will continue to get better over time.
With the competition continuing to get bigger, stronger, faster, and smarter; it’s important to have the mindset to improve by learning from successes and failures.
4) They don’t play small
The mentally tough swing for the fences and know that it might mean striking out a few times (or many times). Their purpose for achieving greatness casts away their fear of failure. They refuse to tip-toe through life, they intend on creating a legacy for the future by making an impact in the here-and-now.
5) They don’t focus on things they can’t control
They refuse to waste time focusing on things they can’t control because there is nothing they can do about it!
They understand that the less control a person feels the more susceptible they are to making poor decisions, falling into bad habits, and crumbling under pressure.
Are you mentally tough enough?
1) They don’t feel sorry for themselves
They understand that complaining doesn’t make the situation better.
They know that people won’t treat them they way they want to be treated, circumstances might not be ideal, and they will experience adversity; however, rather than complain about the negative aspects of their situation, they focus on what they want to happen and what they’re going to do about it.
2) They don’t give people power over them
They are not people pleasers.
They are relentless in their pursuit of their passion and aren’t worried about what other people think.
They give power to what they focus on, and if they waste their time focusing on the opinions of others, they lose sight of the things that will make them truly successful.
3) They don’t avoid change
They are always looking for ways to evolve. They believe that if they continue to give their best, their best will continue to get better over time.
With the competition continuing to get bigger, stronger, faster, and smarter; it’s important to have the mindset to improve by learning from successes and failures.
4) They don’t play small
The mentally tough swing for the fences and know that it might mean striking out a few times (or many times). Their purpose for achieving greatness casts away their fear of failure. They refuse to tip-toe through life, they intend on creating a legacy for the future by making an impact in the here-and-now.
5) They don’t focus on things they can’t control
They refuse to waste time focusing on things they can’t control because there is nothing they can do about it!
They understand that the less control a person feels the more susceptible they are to making poor decisions, falling into bad habits, and crumbling under pressure.
2013年10月20日 星期日
Tips to Getting the Cheapest Airline Flights
Read this online @ Oct 21, 2013
- Book your flight 21 days before you want to fly: Booking a flight is like playing a game of chicken. Airlines want to get the most money possible for their tickets and have sophisticated computer algorithms that adjust their prices automatically. Book too early, and you might miss out on some major deals. Book too late, and you might be shocked to see prices skyrocket. The general consensus is to book your flight 21 days before your planned departure date to get the best deals.
- Tuesday is the best day of the week: Most airlines update their reservation systems on a Tuesday at 7pm GMT. People tend to buy the bulk of their tickets on the weekend, so airlines make changes on one of the slowest days of the week – Tuesday.
- Fly on Tuesday or Wednesday: Tuesday and Wednesday are the least busy days at airports, and are also the cheapest days to fly. As an added bonus, you’ll also have less people to deal with at the airport. Friday and Sunday are the peak flying days of the week, and are the worse, and most expensive days to fly.
- Book Early for International Flights: The best deals for international flying are found 11-12 weeks in advance. You can also try flying into smaller airports, which sometimes have better deals.
- Eat Your Cookies: Delete your Internet browser cookies if you’ve visited an airline site within the last 30 days. It’s been discovered that some airlines will raise prices for previous visitors to their websites.
- Compare Prices: Use travel search engines, in addition to airline websites, to make sure you’re getting the best deal possible.
2013年10月17日 星期四
香港電視
Read it from MingPao @ Oct 18, 2013:
港視編劇：王維基似半澤直樹
香港電視未獲發牌，不少港視員工都支持老闆王維基，有員工更稱讚他的不分階級親力親為，猶如半澤直樹。
一位港視編劇今天在社交網站貼文，談論眼中的老闆王維基。在中大新聞系畢業的她寫道﹕「這幾天不乏一些『香港電視員工被裁仍感謝公司』的報道，這讓很多香港人嘖嘖稱奇，到底一間公司老闆要幾好，員工才會這樣？在香港做打工仔，有幾多個人，在現實、功利、權鬥的種種箝制下，可以真心愛自己的工作、愛自己的公司嗎？作為香港電視的員工，我敢說：我愛公司、我愛我的工作。」
曾在報章和無工作的她形容，「香港電視就像我的長腿叔叔」。「自小我就喜歡寫作，亦自小認清在香港，寫作等於乞食的悲哀境況。從我求學至就職，是現實vs理想，但香港電視告訴我，理想不必賤賣」，電視編劇業因為王維基的加入，薪酬得到顯著提升，讓他可以不用減人工，「與任雜誌時的薪酬一樣，去追求理想」。
她形容香港電視是一個「理想國」，「在這國度裏，人們吃得飽，甚至吃得好」。她寫道﹕「很多員工提過的美劇Workshop，是我首次近距離接觸王生。當時Work shop一連四日，朝九晚五，每天四組，每組Present兩小時。那四天的某一早上，我因怕遲到預早回公司，記得當時是早上七點多，入Lift，撞到王生，他主動跟我點頭打招呼，我才知道，當（習慣晚睡晚起的）編劇在呼天搶地九點上班好辛苦時，王生是七點多就到（公司）上班了。」
她指出，四天來，除了要出席必要會議外，王生場場Present都有聽、場場都有給意見、與員工交流。「王生有時提的點子會遭其他編劇反對；做得編劇，或多或少有點任性，反駁王生的語氣有幾型就幾型(串)，王生無發老脾，照聽，只要你有Point，並且能說服佢。同事發言，眾人舉手，王生會說：『呢度規距畀細講先！』因為他強調，香港電視的目標觀眾是年輕人，他們的意見尤甚重要；階級權力，並非王生與這間公司最看重的。公司亦曾下達命令，只要你有絕世好橋，唔理你咩職位，都可以開劇。創作組共十多檔劇，每檔劇的故事大綱、人物、分場，王生都會細看；每一組劇，由見習編劇到編審，都要入房同佢傾。」
她最後寫道﹕「現在回想，原來王生都幾似半澤直樹，不論階級、實力至上、親力親為、為工作鞠躬盡瘁。我們就在半澤維基的領導下，造了1-3年的夢，而且，這兒半澤最大，沒有大和田、沒有頭取。這樣，我們能不中王維基的『蠱』嗎？」
曾在報章和無工作的她形容，「香港電視就像我的長腿叔叔」。「自小我就喜歡寫作，亦自小認清在香港，寫作等於乞食的悲哀境況。從我求學至就職，是現實vs理想，但香港電視告訴我，理想不必賤賣」，電視編劇業因為王維基的加入，薪酬得到顯著提升，讓他可以不用減人工，「與任雜誌時的薪酬一樣，去追求理想」。
她形容香港電視是一個「理想國」，「在這國度裏，人們吃得飽，甚至吃得好」。她寫道﹕「很多員工提過的美劇Workshop，是我首次近距離接觸王生。當時Work shop一連四日，朝九晚五，每天四組，每組Present兩小時。那四天的某一早上，我因怕遲到預早回公司，記得當時是早上七點多，入Lift，撞到王生，他主動跟我點頭打招呼，我才知道，當（習慣晚睡晚起的）編劇在呼天搶地九點上班好辛苦時，王生是七點多就到（公司）上班了。」
她指出，四天來，除了要出席必要會議外，王生場場Present都有聽、場場都有給意見、與員工交流。「王生有時提的點子會遭其他編劇反對；做得編劇，或多或少有點任性，反駁王生的語氣有幾型就幾型(串)，王生無發老脾，照聽，只要你有Point，並且能說服佢。同事發言，眾人舉手，王生會說：『呢度規距畀細講先！』因為他強調，香港電視的目標觀眾是年輕人，他們的意見尤甚重要；階級權力，並非王生與這間公司最看重的。公司亦曾下達命令，只要你有絕世好橋，唔理你咩職位，都可以開劇。創作組共十多檔劇，每檔劇的故事大綱、人物、分場，王生都會細看；每一組劇，由見習編劇到編審，都要入房同佢傾。」
她最後寫道﹕「現在回想，原來王生都幾似半澤直樹，不論階級、實力至上、親力親為、為工作鞠躬盡瘁。我們就在半澤維基的領導下，造了1-3年的夢，而且，這兒半澤最大，沒有大和田、沒有頭取。這樣，我們能不中王維基的『蠱』嗎？」
2013年10月9日 星期三
中國文明旅遊指南
Read this from hk.finance.yahoo.com @ Oct 10th, 2013:
《華爾街日報》--上個月，在一架從香港飛往新加坡的國泰航空(Cathay Pacific)航班上，一位滿頭大汗的中國內地乘客一路不停地打噴嚏、喘粗氣。儘管其他乘客和空乘人員屢屢相勸，這名男子還是沒有遮住自己的嘴巴，於是其他乘客紛紛戴起口罩，保護自己免受病菌的侵害。
中國國家旅遊局上個月底在“十一”黃金周前發布了一套新的旅遊出行指南，目的就是要糾正這類遊客的不良行為。
這本圖文並茂的64頁指南中，提出的忠告包括：不在別人面前做出摳挖鼻孔、剔牙、咳嗽、打噴嚏等失禮的舉止。
儘管這本指南是針對中國人在國內旅行提出的建議，但其主要的目的卻是提升中國遊客在海外糟糕的聲譽。
今年5月，中國國務院副總理汪洋強調說，中國遊客在海外旅行時要注意言行，以保護中國在海外的形象。
據中國旅遊研究院(Chinese Tourism Academy)的數據，去年有逾8,300萬中國人出國旅遊，較上年同期增長了18%。盡管香港和澳門長期以來一直是最受歡迎的旅遊目的地，但中國人的旅遊偏好開始發生改變，有更多的中國人到更遠的地方旅遊，包括東南亞。
但就在中國游客探索更遠的國度之際，也帶去了各種不良習慣。
從在埃及古代神廟上刻字、到大鬧機場、再到讓孩子在機場中央大便，中國遊客的口碑變得很差。
幾乎沒有跡象顯示近幾個月情況有所改觀。隨著“十一”黃金周的結束，有關中國遊客不良行為的畫面已經在網上傳開。中央電視台上周四晚間在播報全國新聞時進行了集中報道，播出了遊客在竹子上和一座寺廟的墻壁上涂鴉的畫面。
但如今有了最新的旅遊出行“指南”，中國遊客應該沒有借口再繼續不雅行為了，至少從理論上是如此。
如果他們遵守指南，預計將聽到更多的中國人在海外旅遊時會在對話中使用“morning”和“sorry”這樣的禮貌用語。這本指南說，畢竟，早晨說morning，出錯說sorry，世界通用。
同樣，指南建議不要長時間佔用公廁。指南規勸道，不要將腳印留在坐便器上，便後記得沖洗。
想拍張照片？拍照時請考慮周到——指南中還說，拍照時不要爭搶，不要強行與人合影。
在乘坐航班時，指南中說，絕對不能帶走機上的救生衣。最近一名中國男子就曾這樣做過。
多年來，中國境外遊受到嚴格限制，直到1997年，中國人才開始純粹以觀光為目的到海外旅遊。在境外遊的歷史如此短暫的情況下，很多中國人在海外旅遊時會犯錯，這並不令人感到意外。
然而，這並不是說中國人是世界上最糟糕的游客。正如最近的一項調查顯示的，俄羅斯人、英國人以及（你猜得沒錯）美國人在海外旅遊時的不雅行為比中國人更勝一籌。
指南還敦促中國遊客在旅遊時要尊重當地習俗。
指南說，比如，在英國，寒暄時問別人“去哪兒”或“吃飯了嗎”是不禮貌的。
在西班牙，女性外出需要戴耳環——指南上說，否則會被視為沒穿衣服而遭人嘲笑——一位微博用戶認為這個建議有些不實。
另外一位微博用戶寫道，他發現有些旅遊貼士很奇怪——恐怕指南中的一些建議很難駁斥這一說法：
“在海中潛水時，不要抓取和帶走任何海洋生物。注意不要在燈罩下晾手帕和內衣。”
《華爾街日報》--上個月，在一架從香港飛往新加坡的國泰航空(Cathay Pacific)航班上，一位滿頭大汗的中國內地乘客一路不停地打噴嚏、喘粗氣。儘管其他乘客和空乘人員屢屢相勸，這名男子還是沒有遮住自己的嘴巴，於是其他乘客紛紛戴起口罩，保護自己免受病菌的侵害。
中國國家旅遊局上個月底在“十一”黃金周前發布了一套新的旅遊出行指南，目的就是要糾正這類遊客的不良行為。
這本圖文並茂的64頁指南中，提出的忠告包括：不在別人面前做出摳挖鼻孔、剔牙、咳嗽、打噴嚏等失禮的舉止。
儘管這本指南是針對中國人在國內旅行提出的建議，但其主要的目的卻是提升中國遊客在海外糟糕的聲譽。
今年5月，中國國務院副總理汪洋強調說，中國遊客在海外旅行時要注意言行，以保護中國在海外的形象。
據中國旅遊研究院(Chinese Tourism Academy)的數據，去年有逾8,300萬中國人出國旅遊，較上年同期增長了18%。盡管香港和澳門長期以來一直是最受歡迎的旅遊目的地，但中國人的旅遊偏好開始發生改變，有更多的中國人到更遠的地方旅遊，包括東南亞。
但就在中國游客探索更遠的國度之際，也帶去了各種不良習慣。
從在埃及古代神廟上刻字、到大鬧機場、再到讓孩子在機場中央大便，中國遊客的口碑變得很差。
幾乎沒有跡象顯示近幾個月情況有所改觀。隨著“十一”黃金周的結束，有關中國遊客不良行為的畫面已經在網上傳開。中央電視台上周四晚間在播報全國新聞時進行了集中報道，播出了遊客在竹子上和一座寺廟的墻壁上涂鴉的畫面。
但如今有了最新的旅遊出行“指南”，中國遊客應該沒有借口再繼續不雅行為了，至少從理論上是如此。
如果他們遵守指南，預計將聽到更多的中國人在海外旅遊時會在對話中使用“morning”和“sorry”這樣的禮貌用語。這本指南說，畢竟，早晨說morning，出錯說sorry，世界通用。
同樣，指南建議不要長時間佔用公廁。指南規勸道，不要將腳印留在坐便器上，便後記得沖洗。
想拍張照片？拍照時請考慮周到——指南中還說，拍照時不要爭搶，不要強行與人合影。
在乘坐航班時，指南中說，絕對不能帶走機上的救生衣。最近一名中國男子就曾這樣做過。
多年來，中國境外遊受到嚴格限制，直到1997年，中國人才開始純粹以觀光為目的到海外旅遊。在境外遊的歷史如此短暫的情況下，很多中國人在海外旅遊時會犯錯，這並不令人感到意外。
然而，這並不是說中國人是世界上最糟糕的游客。正如最近的一項調查顯示的，俄羅斯人、英國人以及（你猜得沒錯）美國人在海外旅遊時的不雅行為比中國人更勝一籌。
指南還敦促中國遊客在旅遊時要尊重當地習俗。
指南說，比如，在英國，寒暄時問別人“去哪兒”或“吃飯了嗎”是不禮貌的。
在西班牙，女性外出需要戴耳環——指南上說，否則會被視為沒穿衣服而遭人嘲笑——一位微博用戶認為這個建議有些不實。
另外一位微博用戶寫道，他發現有些旅遊貼士很奇怪——恐怕指南中的一些建議很難駁斥這一說法：
“在海中潛水時，不要抓取和帶走任何海洋生物。注意不要在燈罩下晾手帕和內衣。”
2013年10月8日 星期二
2013年10月7日 星期一
Story of A Brave Girl
From news.yahoo.com @ October 7, 2013:
Malala Yousafzai: 'Death Did Not Want to Kill Me'
A year ago this week 15-year-old Malala Yousafzai was brutally attacked on her way home from school -- shot in the head at point-blank range by the Taliban.
A diamond she was willing to risk her life for.
And while others cowered in fear, Malala -- named for a famous Afghan woman warrior -- was filled with courage. When the Taliban issued an edict banning all girls from going to school, she spoke up when no one else would. She blogged about the Taliban attacks on schools for the BBC, and even appeared in a New York Times documentary, saying defiantly: "They cannot stop me. I will get my education -- if it is in home, school, or anyplace."
Even though she knew there had been threats made against her, she says she never expected the Taliban to harm a young girl. But she did rehearse in her own mind what she would do if attacked.
"It was always my desire before the attack that if a man comes ... I would tell that man that education is very important," Malala told Sawyer. "I will tell that man that I even want education for your daughter."
"And you think that would work against a gun?" Sawyer asked.
"I thought that words and books and pens are more powerful than guns," Malala answered.
And on Oct. 9, as she and her friends were singing on the way home, playing the sides of her school bus like a drum, she never imagined that the young man who boarded the bus and asked "Who is Malala?" was an assassin sent by the Taliban to kill her.
"On the day when I was shot, all of my friends' faces were covered, except mine," Malala said.
"It was brave, but was it wise?" Sawyer asked Malala.
Malala answered: "At that time, I was not worried about myself. I wanted to live my life as I want. "
"Still I want to be the number one," Malala said. "And -- I want to be the number one in every field."
In the past few months Malala has been honored by human rights organizations around the world, yet she says she's a bit embarrassed by all the attention.
"I'm feeling that I'm just getting older," she told Sawyer. "I'm 16 now. No one is accepting me as a child."
She also told Sawyer that she misses her friends and her home in the Swat Valley -- "paradise on earth" she called it. She said she wants to return to Swat, and said she's been reading "The Wizard of Oz."
"Yes, there's no place like home. And I believe it," she said. "If you go anywhere, even paradise, you will miss your home. And I do miss my home."
"But won't it always be too dangerous?" Sawyer asks.
"I think life is always dangerous," Malala said. "Some people get afraid of it. Some people don't go forward. But some people, if they want to achieve their goal, they have to go. They have to move. ... We have seen the barbaric situation of the 21st century in Swat. So why should I be afraid now?"
"Do you know how close you came to death?" Sawyer asked.
"I think death didn't want to kill me. And God was with me," Malala said. "And the people prayed for me… And now I know that you must not be afraid of death. And you must move forward. You must go forward, because education and peace is very important. "
Malala Yousafzai: 'Death Did Not Want to Kill Me'
A year ago this week 15-year-old Malala Yousafzai was brutally attacked on her way home from school -- shot in the head at point-blank range by the Taliban.
One year later, the shot heard round the world has given birth to a movement of change -- a movement to educate girls, and the little girl from Swat Valley in Pakistan has become an international symbol of courage and hope.
"In some parts of the world, students are going to school every day. It's their normal life," Malala told Diane Sawyer in an exclusive interview for ABC News. "But in other part of the world, we are starving for education ... it's like a precious gift. It's like a diamond."
A diamond she was willing to risk her life for.
Malala was 11 years old when the Taliban came to her hometown in Swat Valley in northwest Pakistan. Suddenly fear was everywhere. The town's public square was nicknamed "Slaughter Square" because of all the beheadings and corpses. Women were publicly flogged. And Malala's own father was targeted for death because he spoke out against the Taliban and for educating girls.
"At night when I used to sleep, I was thinking all the time that shall I put a knife under my pillow," Malala told Sawyer. "The time was of fear, but some people can overcome fear and some people can fight fear."And while others cowered in fear, Malala -- named for a famous Afghan woman warrior -- was filled with courage. When the Taliban issued an edict banning all girls from going to school, she spoke up when no one else would. She blogged about the Taliban attacks on schools for the BBC, and even appeared in a New York Times documentary, saying defiantly: "They cannot stop me. I will get my education -- if it is in home, school, or anyplace."
Even though she knew there had been threats made against her, she says she never expected the Taliban to harm a young girl. But she did rehearse in her own mind what she would do if attacked.
"It was always my desire before the attack that if a man comes ... I would tell that man that education is very important," Malala told Sawyer. "I will tell that man that I even want education for your daughter."
"And you think that would work against a gun?" Sawyer asked.
"I thought that words and books and pens are more powerful than guns," Malala answered.
And on Oct. 9, as she and her friends were singing on the way home, playing the sides of her school bus like a drum, she never imagined that the young man who boarded the bus and asked "Who is Malala?" was an assassin sent by the Taliban to kill her.
"On the day when I was shot, all of my friends' faces were covered, except mine," Malala said.
"It was brave, but was it wise?" Sawyer asked Malala.
Malala answered: "At that time, I was not worried about myself. I wanted to live my life as I want. "
She doesn't remember the man pointing his Colt .45 and firing three bullets at point blank range, but her best friend told her: "You said nothing and you were just for -- you were just holding my hand and you just squeezed my hand, like you were just forcing it. And you said nothing."
Bleeding heavily, unconscious, Malala was rushed to a local clinic, then to a hospital where a military surgeon saved her life by removing part of her skull as her brain began to swell. She was transported to a military hospital, and then days later airlifted to England. She calls it her "seven days of coma dreams."
"At the time, I was -- thinking that am I dead or am I alive?" Malala said. "If I am dead, I shall be like -- in a graveyard. And then but I said, like, you are not dead. You can talk to yourself. How can you be dead? Then I said, 'You are alive.'… just hope. One day you will wake up."
Today, after numerous surgeries and intensive physiotherapy, Malala is attending school in Birmingham, England, and says she is "totally recovered." She says she loves music, drama and physics -- and remains extremely competitive.
"Still I want to be the number one," Malala said. "And -- I want to be the number one in every field."
In the past few months Malala has been honored by human rights organizations around the world, yet she says she's a bit embarrassed by all the attention.
"I'm feeling that I'm just getting older," she told Sawyer. "I'm 16 now. No one is accepting me as a child."
She also told Sawyer that she misses her friends and her home in the Swat Valley -- "paradise on earth" she called it. She said she wants to return to Swat, and said she's been reading "The Wizard of Oz."
"Yes, there's no place like home. And I believe it," she said. "If you go anywhere, even paradise, you will miss your home. And I do miss my home."
"But won't it always be too dangerous?" Sawyer asks.
"I think life is always dangerous," Malala said. "Some people get afraid of it. Some people don't go forward. But some people, if they want to achieve their goal, they have to go. They have to move. ... We have seen the barbaric situation of the 21st century in Swat. So why should I be afraid now?"
"Do you know how close you came to death?" Sawyer asked.
"I think death didn't want to kill me. And God was with me," Malala said. "And the people prayed for me… And now I know that you must not be afraid of death. And you must move forward. You must go forward, because education and peace is very important. "
2013年9月16日 星期一
氣場的培養
從來都唔係一個有強勢氣場o既人, 有時, o係 workplace 真係會吃虧...
Read this online @ Sep 17, 2013:
哈佛關於氣場的培養：
一，沉穩：
二，細心
（1）對身邊發生的事情，常思考它們
三，膽識：
（1）不要常用缺乏自信的詞句
（2）不要常常反悔，輕易推翻已經決
四，大度：
五，誠信：
六，擔當：
Read this online @ Sep 17, 2013:
哈佛關於氣場的培養：
一，沉穩：
二，細心
（1）對身邊發生的事情，常思考它們
三，膽識：
（1）不要常用缺乏自信的詞句
（2）不要常常反悔，輕易推翻已經決
四，大度：
五，誠信：
六，擔當：
2013年9月13日 星期五
當婚姻結束時...
曾幾可時, 覺得王菲與李亞鵬應該會係幸福的一對...
From Appledaily on Sep 13:
李亞鵬與王菲八年夫妻情盡，兩人今午於魯木齊辦理離婚協議圖片亦已曝光，李亞鵬於黃昏6時07分，於微博發表離婚宣言:
「我要的是一個家庭，你卻注定是一個傳奇。懷念十年中所有的美好時光。愛你如初，很遺憾，放手，是我唯一，所能為你做的。希望你現在是快樂的，我的高中女生。」
「另為了避免大家的臆測，在此公告所有關心我們的朋友:
1.我們的女兒李嫣以後會跟我在一起生活，還請大家關照；
2.我們從戀愛到結婚，財務一直是獨立的，所以也不存在財產分配的問題。」
「祝大家一切都好，明天，太陽會照常升起!」
From Appledaily on Sep 13:
李亞鵬與王菲八年夫妻情盡，兩人今午於魯木齊辦理離婚協議圖片亦已曝光，李亞鵬於黃昏6時07分，於微博發表離婚宣言:
「我要的是一個家庭，你卻注定是一個傳奇。懷念十年中所有的美好時光。愛你如初，很遺憾，放手，是我唯一，所能為你做的。希望你現在是快樂的，我的高中女生。」
「另為了避免大家的臆測，在此公告所有關心我們的朋友:
1.我們的女兒李嫣以後會跟我在一起生活，還請大家關照；
2.我們從戀愛到結婚，財務一直是獨立的，所以也不存在財產分配的問題。」
「祝大家一切都好，明天，太陽會照常升起!」
2013年9月11日 星期三
The Truth behind the British Politeness
Read this online: From The Telegraph @ Sep 2, 2013
Translation table explaining the truth behind British politeness becomes internet hit
The British trait of being too polite to speak one's mind has led to a table translating numerous hollow English phrases becoming an internet hit.
The table points out that when Britons say 'I'm sure it's my fault', it actually means 'it's your fault'.
Translation table explaining the truth behind British politeness becomes internet hit
The British trait of being too polite to speak one's mind has led to a table translating numerous hollow English phrases becoming an internet hit.
The table sheds light on just how difficult it can be for a foreigner to
understand what the British really mean when they're speaking – especially for
those take every word at face value.
Phrases that prove the trickiest to decipher include 'you must come for
dinner', which foreigners tend to take as a direct invitation, but is actually
said out of politeness by many Britons and often does not result in an invite.
The table also reveals that when a person from Britain begins a sentence
"with the greatest respect ...', they actually mean 'I think you are an idiot'.
| WHAT THE BRITISH SAY | WHAT THE BRITISH MEAN | WHAT FOREIGNERS UNDERSTAND |
|---|---|---|
| I hear what you say | I disagree and do not want to discuss it further | He accepts my point of view |
| With the greatest respect | You are an idiot | He is listening to me |
| That's not bad | That's good | That's poor |
| That is a very brave proposal | You are insane | He thinks I have courage |
| Quite good | A bit disappointing | Quite good |
| I would suggest | Do it or be prepared to justify yourself | Think about the idea, but do what you like |
| Oh, incidentally/ by the way | The primary purpose of our discussion is | That is not very important |
| I was a bit disappointed that | I am annoyed that | It doesn't really matter |
| Very interesting | That is clearly nonsense | They are impressed |
| I'll bear it in mind | I've forgotten it already | They will probably do it |
| I'm sure it's my fault | It's your fault | Why do they think it was their fault? |
| You must come for dinner | It's not an invitation, I'm just being polite | I will get an invitation soon |
| I almost agree | I don't agree at all | He's not far from agreement |
| I only have a few minor comments | Please rewrite completely | He has found a few typos |
| Could we consider some other options | I don't like your idea | They have not yet decided |
The table points out that when Britons say 'I'm sure it's my fault', it actually means 'it's your fault'.
It also reveals that 'very interesting' can often mean 'that is clearly
nonsense'.
The table, which has been posted on an number of blogs, has attracted thousands of comments from both Britons and foreigners claiming the interpretations are true to life.
Duncan Green, a strategic adviser for Oxfam who posted it online, described it as "a handy guide for our fellow Europeans and others trying to fathom weaselly Brit-speak".
Mr Green said: "Sadly, I didn’t write it. It’s just one of those great things that is being passed around on the internet."
Although the author of the table is unconfirmed, it is thought it may have originally been drawn up by a Dutch company as an attempt to help employees working in the UK.
The table, which has been posted on an number of blogs, has attracted thousands of comments from both Britons and foreigners claiming the interpretations are true to life.
Duncan Green, a strategic adviser for Oxfam who posted it online, described it as "a handy guide for our fellow Europeans and others trying to fathom weaselly Brit-speak".
Mr Green said: "Sadly, I didn’t write it. It’s just one of those great things that is being passed around on the internet."
Although the author of the table is unconfirmed, it is thought it may have originally been drawn up by a Dutch company as an attempt to help employees working in the UK.
2013年9月3日 星期二
Born Digital: Meet the college class of 2017
Read this from Yahoo! @ September 4th, 2013
They are also attending college at a time when more and more Americans from increasingly diverse backgrounds are choosing to do so. As of 2010, 21 million people were enrolled in college, a 37 percent increase from just 10 years earlier. The class of 2017 will also be significantly more diverse and female than those of generations past: Women now almost make up nearly 60 percent of students on campus, and white students make up just 61 percent of undergrads now, compared to 83 percent in 1976.
Here are some of the emerging trends that may come to define the class of 2017.
Shaped by a recession—and stressed about college’s cost
Today’s undergrads came of age during the recession that began in 2007, which may help explain their self-reported feelings of financial anxiety and increased desire to become wealthy in the future.
In 2012, more college freshmen than ever before (87.9 percent) said getting a better job was an important reason to go to college. An all time high of 74.6 percent also rated making more money a key benefit of college, while 81 percent rated “being very well off financially” as an essential or very important personal goal, another high water mark.
Some experts have cast this increasing emphasis on wealth and future finances as indicative of the younger generation’s superficiality. But given the skyrocketing cost of college over the past few decades and the slow economic recovery, it makes sense that college kids today are keeping a closer eye on their pocketbooks.
The financial worry they’re experiencing is eating into their academics. Nearly a third of college freshmen last year surveyed by the National Survey of Student Engagement agreed with the statement “financial concerns have interfered with my academic performance.” (The average student debt load for undergrads rose to $26,000 last year.) Sixty percent worried they wouldn’t have enough money for regular expenses.
Studying Less, Using Technology More
As of 2012, the average college student spent just 15 hours per week studying, a big drop from decades past, according to research done by two University of California economics professors. According to their research, the average student at a four-year college in 1961 hit the books for 24 hours each week.
But the big drop off in studying is not necessarily because college students are partying more. For one thing, technology has most likely sped up some of the process of schoolwork: Typing a paper on a laptop, with its handy “delete” button, is much faster than using a typewriter, and so is looking up research papers online instead of navigating a library’s Dewey Decimal system.
But it’s unlikely technology is streamlining studying so much that students have an extra 10 hours a week to kill. One possible culprit is procrastination, which is on the rise for Americans of all ages over the past three decades, according to research by Piers Steel. About a third of 160,000 undergraduates surveyed in 2008 said they frequently or always struggled with the problem of not being able to sit down and do their work. While college kids of all generations could daydream and doodle during class, the temptations of the internet surely add to this issue: about two thirds of college students admitted to using social media during class in a 2012 NSSE survey, with 39 percent of freshmen saying they “frequently” did so.
Yet another explanation for the decline in study time may be that college kids are increasingly worried about their finances, and thus spend more of their time working at jobs to help defray college’s high costs.
All of this may contribute to a problem pinpointed by higher education experts Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa, who write in “Academically Adrift” that 45 percent of American students showed “no significant gains in learning” after two years of college. After four years, 36 percent of students in their sample had not improved their writing or analytic skills. Their research was based on following more than 3,000 students on 29 campuses, and administering them a Collegiate Learning Assessment, a standardized test that measures writing, analytical and problem-solving skills.
Narcissism or youthful optimism?
Multiple studies have shown that today’s college students say they are more confident in their own abilities and future success than the Baby Boomer generation that went to college in the 1970s.
San Diego State University Professor Jean Twenge wrote in her book “Generation Me” that Gen Xers born after 1970 and “millennials” born in the 1980s and 90s display much higher self regard, lower civic-mindedness and an increased interest in fame than the baby boomer generation that was born between 1945 and 1970. (Twenge draws these conclusions in part from the American Freshman Survey, which has been asking large samples of college freshmen similar questions since 1965.)
Students in the 90s and 2000s were much more likely to describe themselves as individualistic, self-sufficient and having “strong personalities” than those from the 60s and 70s were. They are also much more likely to rate their academic abilities highly and predict they will complete graduate school and land high-paying, professional jobs. (In 2006, nearly 70 percent of college freshmen ranked themselves in the top of their class in academic ability and drive to succeed.) Undergrads are also more likely than students from previous generations to agree with statements such as “I have often met people who were supposed to be experts who were no better than I.”
But the crop of young people who are going off to college in recent years are breaking this mold, slightly. Twenge found in a more recent study published in Social Psychological and Personality Science that high school students surveyed between 2008 and 2010 showed more concern for others and for the environment than young people who were surveyed between 2004 and 2006 did. Recent college freshmen and high school seniors were also more likely to say they have volunteered and plan to do community service while in college. Twenge concluded that the effect of the recession has increased collectivist and altruistic feelings, though she sticks to her controversial thesis that recent generations display more narcissistic traits than boomers did.
Others have questioned whether the longitudinal surveys Twenge relies upon are a good way to gauge change. “I think undeniably there are generational changes,” said Brent Roberts, a psychology professor at the University of Illinois who has challenged Twenge’s conclusions on narcissism. “Whether those changes are captured in a survey like the [American Freshman Survey] is an interesting question.” Roberts points out that the demographics of college students have changed dramatically over the past four decades, making changes harder to track. (Twenge says she is able to control for these changes.)
Roberts also criticizes Twenge for taking into account the fact that older generations rate the younger generation as more narcissistic than theirs, a trend he says has been going on since time immemorial. “You just don’t remember how much of a prick you were, that’s the way memory systems work,” he said.
Eighteen-year-olds headed off to college for the first time this fall were mostly born in 1995—the year Yahoo was founded—and have never known life without the internet. In the series “Born Digital,” Yahoo News will explore the ways the college experience is being transformed by this new generation: from how undergrads nab jobs and internships to the way they interact with professors and even how they date.
Researchers who have mined survey data on college freshmen and high school seniors that goes back to the 1970s still don’t know how constant access to technology is defining or shaping this born digital generation of students. But social scientists have identified key differences in the values and habits of today’s undergrads that represent sharp breaks from the attitudes on college campuses of the past.
The current crop of college students study less, are from wealthier families, volunteer more and are more concerned about their financial future than college students decades ago, the data show. Students today are also more likely to display narcissistic traits and believe they will be successful in the future, even as they also report higher levels of volunteering and concern for the environment than previous generations of college-aged kids.
They are also attending college at a time when more and more Americans from increasingly diverse backgrounds are choosing to do so. As of 2010, 21 million people were enrolled in college, a 37 percent increase from just 10 years earlier. The class of 2017 will also be significantly more diverse and female than those of generations past: Women now almost make up nearly 60 percent of students on campus, and white students make up just 61 percent of undergrads now, compared to 83 percent in 1976.
Here are some of the emerging trends that may come to define the class of 2017.
Shaped by a recession—and stressed about college’s cost
Today’s undergrads came of age during the recession that began in 2007, which may help explain their self-reported feelings of financial anxiety and increased desire to become wealthy in the future.
In 2012, more college freshmen than ever before (87.9 percent) said getting a better job was an important reason to go to college. An all time high of 74.6 percent also rated making more money a key benefit of college, while 81 percent rated “being very well off financially” as an essential or very important personal goal, another high water mark.
Some experts have cast this increasing emphasis on wealth and future finances as indicative of the younger generation’s superficiality. But given the skyrocketing cost of college over the past few decades and the slow economic recovery, it makes sense that college kids today are keeping a closer eye on their pocketbooks.
The financial worry they’re experiencing is eating into their academics. Nearly a third of college freshmen last year surveyed by the National Survey of Student Engagement agreed with the statement “financial concerns have interfered with my academic performance.” (The average student debt load for undergrads rose to $26,000 last year.) Sixty percent worried they wouldn’t have enough money for regular expenses.
Even so, 73 percent of students agreed that college was a good investment and a record share of high school students rate a college degree as key to a prosperous life, perhaps explaining why they are willing to experience the stress of financial uncertainty.
Studying Less, Using Technology More
As of 2012, the average college student spent just 15 hours per week studying, a big drop from decades past, according to research done by two University of California economics professors. According to their research, the average student at a four-year college in 1961 hit the books for 24 hours each week.
But the big drop off in studying is not necessarily because college students are partying more. For one thing, technology has most likely sped up some of the process of schoolwork: Typing a paper on a laptop, with its handy “delete” button, is much faster than using a typewriter, and so is looking up research papers online instead of navigating a library’s Dewey Decimal system.
But it’s unlikely technology is streamlining studying so much that students have an extra 10 hours a week to kill. One possible culprit is procrastination, which is on the rise for Americans of all ages over the past three decades, according to research by Piers Steel. About a third of 160,000 undergraduates surveyed in 2008 said they frequently or always struggled with the problem of not being able to sit down and do their work. While college kids of all generations could daydream and doodle during class, the temptations of the internet surely add to this issue: about two thirds of college students admitted to using social media during class in a 2012 NSSE survey, with 39 percent of freshmen saying they “frequently” did so.
Yet another explanation for the decline in study time may be that college kids are increasingly worried about their finances, and thus spend more of their time working at jobs to help defray college’s high costs.
All of this may contribute to a problem pinpointed by higher education experts Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa, who write in “Academically Adrift” that 45 percent of American students showed “no significant gains in learning” after two years of college. After four years, 36 percent of students in their sample had not improved their writing or analytic skills. Their research was based on following more than 3,000 students on 29 campuses, and administering them a Collegiate Learning Assessment, a standardized test that measures writing, analytical and problem-solving skills.
Narcissism or youthful optimism?
Multiple studies have shown that today’s college students say they are more confident in their own abilities and future success than the Baby Boomer generation that went to college in the 1970s.
San Diego State University Professor Jean Twenge wrote in her book “Generation Me” that Gen Xers born after 1970 and “millennials” born in the 1980s and 90s display much higher self regard, lower civic-mindedness and an increased interest in fame than the baby boomer generation that was born between 1945 and 1970. (Twenge draws these conclusions in part from the American Freshman Survey, which has been asking large samples of college freshmen similar questions since 1965.)
Students in the 90s and 2000s were much more likely to describe themselves as individualistic, self-sufficient and having “strong personalities” than those from the 60s and 70s were. They are also much more likely to rate their academic abilities highly and predict they will complete graduate school and land high-paying, professional jobs. (In 2006, nearly 70 percent of college freshmen ranked themselves in the top of their class in academic ability and drive to succeed.) Undergrads are also more likely than students from previous generations to agree with statements such as “I have often met people who were supposed to be experts who were no better than I.”
But the crop of young people who are going off to college in recent years are breaking this mold, slightly. Twenge found in a more recent study published in Social Psychological and Personality Science that high school students surveyed between 2008 and 2010 showed more concern for others and for the environment than young people who were surveyed between 2004 and 2006 did. Recent college freshmen and high school seniors were also more likely to say they have volunteered and plan to do community service while in college. Twenge concluded that the effect of the recession has increased collectivist and altruistic feelings, though she sticks to her controversial thesis that recent generations display more narcissistic traits than boomers did.
Others have questioned whether the longitudinal surveys Twenge relies upon are a good way to gauge change. “I think undeniably there are generational changes,” said Brent Roberts, a psychology professor at the University of Illinois who has challenged Twenge’s conclusions on narcissism. “Whether those changes are captured in a survey like the [American Freshman Survey] is an interesting question.” Roberts points out that the demographics of college students have changed dramatically over the past four decades, making changes harder to track. (Twenge says she is able to control for these changes.)
Roberts also criticizes Twenge for taking into account the fact that older generations rate the younger generation as more narcissistic than theirs, a trend he says has been going on since time immemorial. “You just don’t remember how much of a prick you were, that’s the way memory systems work,” he said.
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