友情

當大部分人都在關注你飛得高不高時，

只有少部分人關心你飛得累不累，

這就是友情。

Forwarded by
好友: 文香
on 世界好友周

Refreshed by the presebce of cheerful people

You will find yourself refreshed by the presence of cheerful people.

Why not make earnest effort to confer that pleasure on others?

Half the battle is gained if you never allow yourself to say anything gloomy.

-- Lydia M. Child (1802-1880)


It is hard to find cheerful people nowadays, so be one yourself and you will gain half the battle and gain the other hard by making the rest around you less gloomy!


Dexterine Ho

Heaven in a wild flower

To see a World in a grain of sand,

And Heaven in a wild flower,

Hold Infinity in the palm of your handAnd Eternity in an hour.

-- William Blake

I hope ...

I hope everyday is a great day to expand my creativity.

I hope my creative juices will flow everyday, and I can turn some of my creative thoughts into action.

To prepare my self for the spark of moment to make and create something new, I tend to spending some extra dollars aquiring material items I may need, so I have to keep my spending in check.

Heutagogy

Heutagogy: a new word learned today

According to the Free Dictionary http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Heutagogy

"Heutagogy is the principle of teaching based upon the concept of truly self-determined learning."

"It is suggested that heutagogy is appropriate to the needs of learners in the twenty-first century, particularly in the development of individual capability, individualised learning and independent learning using the internet-based systems including multimedia, virtual learning environments, online assessments and social software."

For more information on "heutagogy", please refer to the following entry:
http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Heutagogy

"Heutagogy" was one of the word used in one of the many ACTA course reading materials, and I found it relevant to any one who is keen in learning on their own.

In the past, it was teachers who decided what the learner needed to know and how the knowledge and skills should be taught.

Today, as a learner myself, I can set my learning curriculum and do it the way I find appropiate and applicable.

It is very self enriching process and learning become more flexible as Internet resources allow one to explore on their own and learn from experts all over the world.

It is not a closed learning that is limited to participant of a certain course, but an open access one as the learning is globalized and freely accessible if you know how to find the knowledge that is being stored in various portals or databases or service providers.

Learning is globalized though it is at the desk of the learner that learning takes place.


Dexterine Ho

Happiness depends upon our dispositions

I am still determined to be cheerful and happy, in whatever situation I may be;

for I have also learned from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances.

-- Martha Washington (1732-1802)

LAS: PDS update cum sharing session

LAS: PDS update cum sharing session

Today I attended the sharing session and get an update on PDS.

According to the email from the secretariat:

"The LAS Professional Development Scheme (PDS) is an award that recognizes the achievements of librarians in their professional training and development effort. The award of “Practicing Professional (PP)” is given to librarians who attain a prescribed level of training and professional development activities."

"Response has been encouraging. 45 members have been granted the award of PP with a validity period, Jan 2009 to Dec 2010. Another 30 members have been granted provisional approval for the award of PP."

Date: Wed 12 Aug 2009
Time: 3.30pm
Venue: Possibility Room, National Library Building

Programme
3.00 pm Registration
3.30 pm Tea reception at the Courtyard
4.30 pm PDS Update
5.15 pm Presentation of letters to successful PDS applicants
5.30 pm Sharing on the PDS by successful applicants
5.45 pm Q&A
6.00 pm Group photograph

Professional Development Scheme (PDS) Points

Eligible for PDS Points: This activity attracts 46 points under the Industry Knowledge Development (ID) category." Participate in library related talks, forums, discussion sessions and business meetings (e.g. AGM, Council & Committee meetings) organized by LAS or other libraries (provided they are open to LAS members or other librarians)

Creating your own experience

Some time, I feel that creativity is just my ally at certain moment.

Whatever I tried or can imagine may be created and become something real and tangible. 

A new possibility and a new reality can be created through some hard work of my mind and hands.

Some people may see that as magic and I am thrilled to have magical moment like that that amazed me too.

To be frank, I am not very sure what can turn out sometime, yet with confidence that something nice will be created, I just work on it and whatever can be created can be amazing to others and the creator!

Usually, I just try to play with different ideas, different materials or whatever I can use to translate my thought into actual works of art/craft. 

It is the process of naturally flow that thrilled me most of the time.  You do not really know the exact outcome, though you have some aspiration and inspiration.  Doing it, is a way of discovering and negotiating with your hiden thought, when you are able to discover what is deep inside the thought, you are thrilled.  If not, the negotiation process will transform your original ideas to something you hardly imagine, that is equally exciting! 

I am a person who like to collect things and ideas for my art and craft work. I think having a big "databank" of ideas and a home office with ample space to store all sorts of material now just make the flow easier to manage. But remember, we all start from zero and build things day by day, step by step!

I was and still a librarian at heart. With all the searching, indexing and cataloguing skills within my reach. It just makes sourcing ideas and organising ideas handy.

Some colleagues and friends are amazed that I can come out with art and craft pieces with ease, I think they should not hesitate to try and create the same experience for themselves.

I think most people can have this sense of "abundance" if they don't question their abilities and just try it out.  I am sure many who venture will reap the same rewards.

With Internet and Libraries around us, it is not necessary to have a personal databank like mine as I acquired and created it long before the Internet era and will keep it for nostalgic reason.

Nevertheless, remember you need to make use of what it available conveniently now.

With Internet resources, ideas is everywhere for us to access.  We are not lack of ideas, we are lack of time and willingness to act according to our will.

Any great work of art or craft need time to refine.  To perfect a piece of work, we need to practice our work day by day and creating anything is still a step-by-step matter.

With that you will be able to make the ideas work for you, you will be the first one to be amazed by our creation before other experience it through your works!

Cheers!

Dexterine Ho

Brain Tour

This interactive "Brain Tour" at http://www.alz.org/brain/01.asp explains basic concepts about the brain.

Viewers navigate at their own pace through 7 illustrated screens on "Brain Basics" and follow colored text links that highlight key areas and special features of each illustration.

You will learn some interesting fact like: "Your brain is your most powerful organ, yet weighs only about three pounds. It has a texture similar to firm jelly." and understand what is cerebrum, cerebellum and brain stem etc.

If you explore further, you will learn more about Alzheimer's Disease and the Brain in the next 9 illustrated screens which explain what happens to the brain in those people who have suffered Alzheimer's disease.


If you like to learn more about the brain, The World Almanac 2009 is a good place for a quick reference. Here are some points extracted:

* The human brain has approximately 100 billion neurons.

* Neurons are the oldest and longest cells in the body.

* You have many of the same neurons for your whole life.

* Although other cells die and are replaced, many neurons are never replaced when they die.

* You have fewer neurons when you are old compared to when you are young.

Now I know why I am more forgetful now as it is a fact of life that everyone of us has to live with!

Hence, treasure what you have now and what you remembered before. Nothing is permenent, nothing is eternal, changes is life is inevitable, we lost something everyday, even memory in our own mind is not for us to behold forever!


Dexterine Ho

Some reflections

Today, I would like to remind myself on:

* Appreciation for your loved ones must include acceptance of who they are and who they are not.

* Appreciate myself includes acceptance of who I am and what I can and who I am not and what I am not capable of.

* If I acknowledge that I am not capable of changing an aspect of my personality, I am free to love myself and others better, and to focus on some of my good personalities ts and do whatever well in the way I see my priorities go.

* If I acknowledge that I am not capable of changing an aspect of someone's personality, I am free to love myself and others better, and to focus on my own priorities and not imposing any changes on them.

* Invest the energy I have in being the person I can best be and not trying to be the best in meeting the impossible criterias others thing I should be.


Dexterine Ho

The road to wisdom?

"The road to wisdom?

Well, it's plain and simple to express:

Err and err again but less and less and less."

-- Piet Hein (1905 – 1996) Danish Inventor.