her fingers dancing
over the koto --
winter moon
taiko beats
from far away --
spring bamboo
over the koto --
winter moon
taiko beats
from far away --
spring bamboo
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Japanese stuff
Went for a Japanese tradition music concert on Sunday organised by the Japanese Embassy, as introduced by Weijie. I have heard instruments like koto (zither), shamisen (3-string guitar) and taiko (drum) being played live before, but for the shakohachi and shinobue (two kinds of flute), it was the first time. The ensemble played popular folk songs and some contemporary medleys like Miyazaki Hayao's Anime Songs (Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, Totoro, Ponyo). It was light entertainment, designed as a sampling course for Japanese traditional musical instruments and how they can be used to interpret contemporary tunes. The atmosphere was right and hence the two haikus below:
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Tree-Climbers
Excellent excellent book. This is a story about people who risk their lives to climb trees and study them. It's no joke when you talk about leaping from one branch/tree to another at a height of more than twenty storeys, and though safety ropes are used, people do actually die. Preston narrates an account of a guy who miraculously survived a fall from more than a hundred feet high, but he is probably one of the very very few who do so. These people do not just climb for leisure, unlike myself (I feel kind of ashamed that I am not doing very much for the trees sometimes); many of them are scientists who conduct extensive studies on the ecosystems high up in the canopies of the world's tallest trees, which otherwise would have remained unknown to the world. The book talks alot about the world's tallest trees: the coastal redwood (more than 300 feet/30 storeys high) which are found in the Northwest of the States, namely, Northern California and Oregon. I would love to go and do some climbs and see how it's like so high up there. Even when you are four or five storeys high on a tree in Singapore, the whole world would seem totally different. You hear different things than what you would on the ground, you definitely gain a new perspective and even the smells are different. There is also this indescribable sense of quietness that I call "green silence" that seems to emanate from the trees. Set up a hammock, read or just snooze. Mmm.. throw in a stop at Olympic Peninsula in Washington to see the Pacific temperate rainforests and it would be a perfect vacation.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
MBTI stuff
What do you do when your boss is an INTJ and you are an ISFP? So we have something in common: an I (which stands for Introverted) but everything else is the opposite. (iNtuitive vs Sensing; Thinking vs Feeling; Judging vs Perceiving).
So what is an INTJ? According to MBTI theory:
The Scientist
As an INTJ, your primary mode of living is focused internally, where you take things in primarily via your intuition. Your secondary mode is external, where you deal with things rationally and logically.
With Introverted Intuition dominating their personality, INTJs focus their energy on observing the world, and generating ideas and possibilities. Their mind constantly gathers information and makes associations about it. They are tremendously insightful and usually are very quick to understand new ideas. However, their primary interest is not understanding a concept, but rather applying that concept in a useful way. Unlike the INTP, they do not follow an idea as far as they possibly can, seeking only to understand it fully. INTJs are driven to come to conclusions about ideas. Their need for closure and organization usually requires that they take some action.
INTJ's tremendous value and need for systems and organization, combined with their natural insightfulness, makes them excellent scientists. An INTJ scientist gives a gift to society by putting their ideas into a useful form for others to follow. It is not easy for the INTJ to express their internal images, insights, and abstractions. The internal form of the INTJ's thoughts and concepts is highly individualized, and is not readily translatable into a form that others will understand. However, the INTJ is driven to translate their ideas into a plan or system that is usually readily explainable, rather than to do a direct translation of their thoughts. They usually don't see the value of a direct transaction, and will also have difficulty expressing their ideas, which are non-linear. However, their extreme respect of knowledge and intelligence will motivate them to explain themselves to another person who they feel is deserving of the effort.
INTJs are natural leaders, although they usually choose to remain in the background until they see a real need to take over the lead. When they are in leadership roles, they are quite effective, because they are able to objectively see the reality of a situation, and are adaptable enough to change things which aren't working well. They are the supreme strategists - always scanning available ideas and concepts and weighing them against their current strategy, to plan for every conceivable contingency.
INTJs spend a lot of time inside their own minds, and may have little interest in the other people's thoughts or feelings. Unless their Feeling side is developed, they may have problems giving other people the level of intimacy that is needed. Unless their Sensing side is developed, they may have a tendency to ignore details which are necessary for implementing their ideas.
The INTJ's interest in dealing with the world is to make decisions, express judgments, and put everything that they encounter into an understandable and rational system. Consequently, they are quick to express judgments. Often they have very evolved intuitions, and are convinced that they are right about things. Unless they complement their intuitive understanding with a well-developed ability to express their insights, they may find themselves frequently misunderstood. In these cases, INTJs tend to blame misunderstandings on the limitations of the other party, rather than on their own difficulty in expressing themselves. This tendency may cause the INTJ to dismiss others input too quickly, and to become generally arrogant and elitist.
INTJs are ambitious, self-confident, deliberate, long-range thinkers. Many INTJs end up in engineering or scientific pursuits, although some find enough challenge within the business world in areas which involve organizing and strategic planning. They dislike messiness and inefficiency, and anything that is muddled or unclear. They value clarity and efficiency, and will put enormous amounts of energy and time into consolidating their insights into structured patterns.
Other people may have a difficult time understanding an INTJ. They may see them as aloof and reserved. Indeed, the INTJ is not overly demonstrative of their affections, and is likely to not give as much praise or positive support as others may need or desire. That doesn't mean that he or she doesn't truly have affection or regard for others, they simply do not typically feel the need to express it. Others may falsely perceive the INTJ as being rigid and set in their ways. Nothing could be further from the truth, because the INTJ is committed to always finding the objective best strategy to implement their ideas. The INTJ is usually quite open to hearing an alternative way of doing something.
When under a great deal of stress, the INTJ may become obsessed with mindless repetitive, sensate activities, such as over-drinking. They may also tend to become absorbed with minutia and details that they would not normally consider important to their overall goal.
INTJs need to remember to express themselves sufficiently, so as to avoid difficulties with people misunderstandings. In the absence of properly developing their communication abilities, they may become abrupt and short with people, and isolationists.
INTJs have a tremendous amount of ability to accomplish great things. They have insight into the Big Picture, and are driven to synthesize their concepts into solid plans of action. Their reasoning skills gives them the means to accomplish that. INTJs are most always highly competent people, and will not have a problem meeting their career or education goals. They have the capability to make great strides in these arenas. On a personal level, the INTJ who practices tolerances and puts effort into effectively communicating their insights to others has everything in his or her power to lead a rich and rewarding life.
Jungian functional preference ordering:
Dominant: Introverted Intuition
Via http://www.personalitypage.com/INTJ.html
Everything fits, like a glove. The funny thing is I don’t dislike him at all. The traits are so apparent that I can sort of immediately understand where he is coming from. Just that he gets on my nerves when he starts to adopt that tell-you-what-to-do attitude right up to the nitty-gritty. I don’t feel like there is no trust, because I understand where all that is coming from. But it still bruises my ISFP soul.
So what is an INTJ? According to MBTI theory:
The Scientist
As an INTJ, your primary mode of living is focused internally, where you take things in primarily via your intuition. Your secondary mode is external, where you deal with things rationally and logically.
INTJs live in the world of ideas and strategic planning. They value intelligence, knowledge, and competence, and typically have high standards in these regards, which they continuously strive to fulfill. To a somewhat lesser extent, they have similar expectations of others.
With Introverted Intuition dominating their personality, INTJs focus their energy on observing the world, and generating ideas and possibilities. Their mind constantly gathers information and makes associations about it. They are tremendously insightful and usually are very quick to understand new ideas. However, their primary interest is not understanding a concept, but rather applying that concept in a useful way. Unlike the INTP, they do not follow an idea as far as they possibly can, seeking only to understand it fully. INTJs are driven to come to conclusions about ideas. Their need for closure and organization usually requires that they take some action.
INTJ's tremendous value and need for systems and organization, combined with their natural insightfulness, makes them excellent scientists. An INTJ scientist gives a gift to society by putting their ideas into a useful form for others to follow. It is not easy for the INTJ to express their internal images, insights, and abstractions. The internal form of the INTJ's thoughts and concepts is highly individualized, and is not readily translatable into a form that others will understand. However, the INTJ is driven to translate their ideas into a plan or system that is usually readily explainable, rather than to do a direct translation of their thoughts. They usually don't see the value of a direct transaction, and will also have difficulty expressing their ideas, which are non-linear. However, their extreme respect of knowledge and intelligence will motivate them to explain themselves to another person who they feel is deserving of the effort.
INTJs are natural leaders, although they usually choose to remain in the background until they see a real need to take over the lead. When they are in leadership roles, they are quite effective, because they are able to objectively see the reality of a situation, and are adaptable enough to change things which aren't working well. They are the supreme strategists - always scanning available ideas and concepts and weighing them against their current strategy, to plan for every conceivable contingency.
INTJs spend a lot of time inside their own minds, and may have little interest in the other people's thoughts or feelings. Unless their Feeling side is developed, they may have problems giving other people the level of intimacy that is needed. Unless their Sensing side is developed, they may have a tendency to ignore details which are necessary for implementing their ideas.
The INTJ's interest in dealing with the world is to make decisions, express judgments, and put everything that they encounter into an understandable and rational system. Consequently, they are quick to express judgments. Often they have very evolved intuitions, and are convinced that they are right about things. Unless they complement their intuitive understanding with a well-developed ability to express their insights, they may find themselves frequently misunderstood. In these cases, INTJs tend to blame misunderstandings on the limitations of the other party, rather than on their own difficulty in expressing themselves. This tendency may cause the INTJ to dismiss others input too quickly, and to become generally arrogant and elitist.
INTJs are ambitious, self-confident, deliberate, long-range thinkers. Many INTJs end up in engineering or scientific pursuits, although some find enough challenge within the business world in areas which involve organizing and strategic planning. They dislike messiness and inefficiency, and anything that is muddled or unclear. They value clarity and efficiency, and will put enormous amounts of energy and time into consolidating their insights into structured patterns.
Other people may have a difficult time understanding an INTJ. They may see them as aloof and reserved. Indeed, the INTJ is not overly demonstrative of their affections, and is likely to not give as much praise or positive support as others may need or desire. That doesn't mean that he or she doesn't truly have affection or regard for others, they simply do not typically feel the need to express it. Others may falsely perceive the INTJ as being rigid and set in their ways. Nothing could be further from the truth, because the INTJ is committed to always finding the objective best strategy to implement their ideas. The INTJ is usually quite open to hearing an alternative way of doing something.
When under a great deal of stress, the INTJ may become obsessed with mindless repetitive, sensate activities, such as over-drinking. They may also tend to become absorbed with minutia and details that they would not normally consider important to their overall goal.
INTJs need to remember to express themselves sufficiently, so as to avoid difficulties with people misunderstandings. In the absence of properly developing their communication abilities, they may become abrupt and short with people, and isolationists.
INTJs have a tremendous amount of ability to accomplish great things. They have insight into the Big Picture, and are driven to synthesize their concepts into solid plans of action. Their reasoning skills gives them the means to accomplish that. INTJs are most always highly competent people, and will not have a problem meeting their career or education goals. They have the capability to make great strides in these arenas. On a personal level, the INTJ who practices tolerances and puts effort into effectively communicating their insights to others has everything in his or her power to lead a rich and rewarding life.
Jungian functional preference ordering:
Dominant: Introverted Intuition
Auxilliary: Extraverted Thinking
Tertiary: Introverted Feeling
Inferior: Extraverted Sensing
Via http://www.personalitypage.com/INTJ.html
Everything fits, like a glove. The funny thing is I don’t dislike him at all. The traits are so apparent that I can sort of immediately understand where he is coming from. Just that he gets on my nerves when he starts to adopt that tell-you-what-to-do attitude right up to the nitty-gritty. I don’t feel like there is no trust, because I understand where all that is coming from. But it still bruises my ISFP soul.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Why Bosses tend to be blowhards
The latest issue of TIME (Asia version) has an interesting article on a study conducted by the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology which concluded that leadership is very often just "loudership" - People are likelier to be perceived as leaders if they offer more answers, even if those answers are wrong. Some excerpts from the article:
"Psychologists know one way to become a leader is simply to act like one. Speak up, speak well and offer lots of ideas, and people begin to do what you say..."
"(In the first part of the study where the players were given the task to organise an NPO) Both players and judges considered the people who spoke up the most to be higher in such qualities as "general intelligence". The ones who didn't speak much scored higher in traits like "conventional" and "uncreative"."
"(In the second part of the study where the players were set to work on solving math problems) Often the ones who were rated the highest (in the study) were not the ones who gave the most correct answers. Nor were they the ones whose SAT scores suggested they'd even able to. What they did do was offer the most answers - period. Even though they were not more competent, dominant individuals behaved as if they were. And the team fell for it: fully 94% of the time, they used the first answer anyone shouted out."
"Psychologists know one way to become a leader is simply to act like one. Speak up, speak well and offer lots of ideas, and people begin to do what you say..."
"(In the first part of the study where the players were given the task to organise an NPO) Both players and judges considered the people who spoke up the most to be higher in such qualities as "general intelligence". The ones who didn't speak much scored higher in traits like "conventional" and "uncreative"."
"(In the second part of the study where the players were set to work on solving math problems) Often the ones who were rated the highest (in the study) were not the ones who gave the most correct answers. Nor were they the ones whose SAT scores suggested they'd even able to. What they did do was offer the most answers - period. Even though they were not more competent, dominant individuals behaved as if they were. And the team fell for it: fully 94% of the time, they used the first answer anyone shouted out."
I really want this
Etsy.com is a great site, even better if I were to live in North America. I really like this very much but it cost USD28 and with shipping estimated to be at least USD40 (priority mail), it's going to cost at least SGD100. I don't really need it but I like it. It's unique but not that I can use it everyday. Argh.....
Book Covers
New Discovery: The Book Cover Archive has a lovely store of interesting book covers. No doubt an arresting design helps to sell a book. Some of these are like art pieces by themselves.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Finally..
Excerpt from Business Times 5 Mar 09:
25% lopped off GIC's portfolio: MM
<(SINGAPORE) The portfolio of the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC) has shrunk by about 25 per cent from its peak, partly because it went in too early to buy into once-prized global banks. Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew - who is also GIC chairman - disclosed the extent of the sovereign wealth fund's loss in a candid interview with Reuters released yesterday. Fielding questions later from guests at a Thomson Reuters dialogue where he was the guest of honour, Mr Lee said GIC bought into global banks UBS and Citigroup 'too early'. Both banks were clobbered by the financial meltdown that gathered pace in the second half of last year. Unfortunately, GIC had made its moves well before that, buying into UBS in December 2007 and picking up its Citi stake in January last year - months before the real decline set in. Ironically, GIC had foreseen a plunge in the equity market and had pared its equity holdings before the crisis from about 60 per cent of the portfolio to 45-50 per cent. 'We became cash-rich and when the market fell, we went into UBS and Citi,' he said. 'But we went in too early. That's part of the ride.'>
So finally, it is "clear" how much we lost. Not too bad, it seems, 25%. But is it really this amount? I guess we will never know. This brings to mind, however, something I had read earlier:
The un-reported Lim Hwee Hua - GIC episode (as witnessed at a Parliamentary session)
<...Of course, these little observations are what spiced up the trip to the Parliament, but the main thing I get from being there, instead of relying on mainstream media, are the un-reported stuff.
That day happened to be the day when the budget for Ministry of Finance was debated. Many MPs, including Ms Sylvia Lim, filed ‘cuts’ asking the Ministry of Finance to disclose how much reserve Singapore still has, and how much losses have the 2 SWFs - GIC and Temasek incurred.
Mrs Lim Hwee Hua, SMS (Senior Minister of State, and yes, they used this acronym there) for Finance, read her reply from her file, and gave a fluent answer (re-hashing) of the Government’s stand on why we should not disclose the amount of reserves we have, and that the SWFs did not do as badly as the various indices tracking the similiar markets.
She also added that Temasek Holding’s portfolio fell 31%. When it was time for clarification questions, Ms Sylvia Lim rose to ask about the exact figure for losses incurred by GIC, since no specific number was quoted, while the 31% was disclosed for Temasek. Mrs Lim Hwee Hua was stumped for words for a few seconds, stammered a little, mumbled something about “it was reported during the budget debate last week”, while frantically flipping her file infront of her to look for an answer. Sylvia Lim spread her hands in a gesture asking “what number”, and Lim Hwee Hua, after not being able to give a specific number, suddenly succumbed and threw out a number, “41%”. The Speaker was nice to Lim Hwee Hua, seeing that she was not very sure of the number herself, and asked if she wants to clarify the number later. She took the opportunity, and since it was also time for the recess at 1520hrs, the Speaker declared that the Parliament go into recess.>
So better not to listen to these MPs. Wait for the official word by the Sage.
25% lopped off GIC's portfolio: MM
<(SINGAPORE) The portfolio of the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC) has shrunk by about 25 per cent from its peak, partly because it went in too early to buy into once-prized global banks. Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew - who is also GIC chairman - disclosed the extent of the sovereign wealth fund's loss in a candid interview with Reuters released yesterday. Fielding questions later from guests at a Thomson Reuters dialogue where he was the guest of honour, Mr Lee said GIC bought into global banks UBS and Citigroup 'too early'. Both banks were clobbered by the financial meltdown that gathered pace in the second half of last year. Unfortunately, GIC had made its moves well before that, buying into UBS in December 2007 and picking up its Citi stake in January last year - months before the real decline set in. Ironically, GIC had foreseen a plunge in the equity market and had pared its equity holdings before the crisis from about 60 per cent of the portfolio to 45-50 per cent. 'We became cash-rich and when the market fell, we went into UBS and Citi,' he said. 'But we went in too early. That's part of the ride.'>
So finally, it is "clear" how much we lost. Not too bad, it seems, 25%. But is it really this amount? I guess we will never know. This brings to mind, however, something I had read earlier:
The un-reported Lim Hwee Hua - GIC episode (as witnessed at a Parliamentary session)
<...Of course, these little observations are what spiced up the trip to the Parliament, but the main thing I get from being there, instead of relying on mainstream media, are the un-reported stuff.
That day happened to be the day when the budget for Ministry of Finance was debated. Many MPs, including Ms Sylvia Lim, filed ‘cuts’ asking the Ministry of Finance to disclose how much reserve Singapore still has, and how much losses have the 2 SWFs - GIC and Temasek incurred.
Mrs Lim Hwee Hua, SMS (Senior Minister of State, and yes, they used this acronym there) for Finance, read her reply from her file, and gave a fluent answer (re-hashing) of the Government’s stand on why we should not disclose the amount of reserves we have, and that the SWFs did not do as badly as the various indices tracking the similiar markets.
She also added that Temasek Holding’s portfolio fell 31%. When it was time for clarification questions, Ms Sylvia Lim rose to ask about the exact figure for losses incurred by GIC, since no specific number was quoted, while the 31% was disclosed for Temasek. Mrs Lim Hwee Hua was stumped for words for a few seconds, stammered a little, mumbled something about “it was reported during the budget debate last week”, while frantically flipping her file infront of her to look for an answer. Sylvia Lim spread her hands in a gesture asking “what number”, and Lim Hwee Hua, after not being able to give a specific number, suddenly succumbed and threw out a number, “41%”. The Speaker was nice to Lim Hwee Hua, seeing that she was not very sure of the number herself, and asked if she wants to clarify the number later. She took the opportunity, and since it was also time for the recess at 1520hrs, the Speaker declared that the Parliament go into recess.>
So better not to listen to these MPs. Wait for the official word by the Sage.
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