Where did the wedding custom of "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue" come from?
=====
Wedding Quote: Something old, something new, something borrowed ...
=====
Just attended the Wedding dinner of my university roommate's daughter at Sands Expo & Convention Centre (Orchid Main Ballroom, Level 4, Marina Bay Sands) and thought of remembering the date by re-compiling something I forwarded to Lee Ngoh few weeks ago.
Before I received the invitation card, I already noted in my pocket Diary that Ming Ying (Lee Ngoh and Yew Cheng's daughter) is getting married on 17 Dec.
For the month of Nov and Dec, I started on the look up for Wedding related phrases and quotations. When I found the following phrase pop up at Refdesk.com on 8 Dec, I thought it was a magical coincidence, and proved one of the universe laws I learned sometime back (i.e., the Law of Attraction)
As it could be handy reference for her to know the meaning of the Wedding phrase, I email her the RefDesk information on 8 Dec.
Now, I would like to share the reference with more details in this blog to let others who are interested in knowing the origin and meaning of this Wedding phrase, cited from http://www.refdesk.com/ (published on 8 Dec 2010):
=====
The wedding phrase "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and a silver sixpence in her shoe" symbolizes continuity, optimism for the future, borrowed happiness, fidelity, and wealth or good luck, respectively.
- Provided by RandomHistory.com
=====
I also did a search on google and found the expanded explanation in ASK YAHOO:
Where did the wedding custom of "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue" come from?
http://ask.yahoo.com/20031027.html
====
A sixpence is a coin that was minted in Britain from 1551 to 1967. It was made of silver and worth six pennies. So this wedding tradition is definitely English, and many sources say that it began in the Victorian era.
Each item in this poem represents a good-luck token for the bride. If she carries all of them on her wedding day, her marriage will be happy.
"Something old" symbolizes continuity with the bride's family and the past.
"Something new" means optimism and hope for the bride's new life ahead.
"Something borrowed" is usually an item from a happily married friend or family member, whose good fortune in marriage is supposed to carry over to the new bride.
The borrowed item also reminds the bride that she can depend on her friends and family.
As for the colorful item, blue has been connected to weddings for centuries. In ancient Rome, brides wore blue to symbolize love, modesty, and fidelity.
Christianity has long dressed the Virgin Mary in blue, so purity was associated with the color. Before the late 19th century, blue was a popular color for wedding gowns, as evidenced in proverbs like, "Marry in blue, lover be true."
And finally, a silver sixpence in the bride's shoe represents wealth and financial security. It may date back to a Scottish custom of a groom putting a silver coin under his foot for good luck. For optimum fortune, the sixpence should be in the left shoe. These days, a dime or a copper penny is sometimes substituted, and many companies sell keepsake sixpences for weddings.
===
For more details, please view: http://ask.yahoo.com/20031027.html
I think it is a great way of passing well wishes and good wills through practicing the wedding phrase? Don't you think so?
To end the entry today, may I use this to celebrate and commemorate the Marriage of Tai Wei Hao and Lim Ming Ying in BLOG-way!
Cheers!
Soo Miang
==========
Dexterine Ho Soo Miang
Friday, December 17, 2010
Friday, December 10, 2010
Tanglin Trust School Libraries tour
LAS Programmes and Social Committee organised the Tanglin Trust School Libraries tour for 40 members today. Here are the details:
Date: 10 December 2010 (Friday)
Time: 3:00 pm – 5.30 pm
Meeting Point: Senior Library, Level 2, 6th Form Centre, Tanglin Trust School, 95 Portsdown Road, Singapore 139299
The itinerary of the tour:
3.00 pm Meet at Senior Library, 6th Form Centre, Tanglin Trust School
3.10 - 3.40 pm Refreshment & Interaction with Library Staff
3.40 - 4.10 pm Presentation Session in Senior Library
4.10 - 5.00 pm Guided tours of Teachers, Junior school and Infant school libraries
Professional Development Scheme (PDS) Points
Eligible for PDS Points: This activity attracts 46 points under the Industry Knowledge Development (ID) category. "Study visit to other libraries (local and overseas)"
Date: 10 December 2010 (Friday)
Time: 3:00 pm – 5.30 pm
Meeting Point: Senior Library, Level 2, 6th Form Centre, Tanglin Trust School, 95 Portsdown Road, Singapore 139299
The itinerary of the tour:
3.00 pm Meet at Senior Library, 6th Form Centre, Tanglin Trust School
3.10 - 3.40 pm Refreshment & Interaction with Library Staff
3.40 - 4.10 pm Presentation Session in Senior Library
4.10 - 5.00 pm Guided tours of Teachers, Junior school and Infant school libraries
Professional Development Scheme (PDS) Points
Eligible for PDS Points: This activity attracts 46 points under the Industry Knowledge Development (ID) category. "Study visit to other libraries (local and overseas)"
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Letting go and holding on
All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on.
-- Henry Ellis (1721-1806)
I am in library field and practicing librarianship for some decades. Since I was a reference librarian and an adjunct lecturer in National Institute of Education, librarianship and digital literacy skills gave me an opportunity to engage in education and training.
I understand learning can only take place if one is willing to learn. Acquisitions of knowledge can only happen at the time when you allow what is outside you to be inside you.
If the door of the learner is not opened, it is hard for the teachers or educators to teach them. As intruders are not welcome!
I enjoy teaching self motivated learners. I am glad that most of the course participants in many of my classes are eager to learn and enjoy the process of translating learning into practice.
Nevertheless, there are some learners who are not self-motivated. They are against learning and do not see the needs at the first place. They are always in defensive mode and build mental wall to block all the new input.
If one is unwilling to learn, it is easy for one to find all the means and ways to avoid it. I may try and hold on and do my part, yet, time wait for no man. If they are unable to use their learning time within my coaching period, I feel sad for them and hope things may change or get better in the future.
I learn to let go, as I can only be with them for so long. I just hope that when they miss learning now, they will catch up some other time in the future when they realise and make a change in their mind set.
-- Henry Ellis (1721-1806)
I am in library field and practicing librarianship for some decades. Since I was a reference librarian and an adjunct lecturer in National Institute of Education, librarianship and digital literacy skills gave me an opportunity to engage in education and training.
I understand learning can only take place if one is willing to learn. Acquisitions of knowledge can only happen at the time when you allow what is outside you to be inside you.
If the door of the learner is not opened, it is hard for the teachers or educators to teach them. As intruders are not welcome!
I enjoy teaching self motivated learners. I am glad that most of the course participants in many of my classes are eager to learn and enjoy the process of translating learning into practice.
Nevertheless, there are some learners who are not self-motivated. They are against learning and do not see the needs at the first place. They are always in defensive mode and build mental wall to block all the new input.
If one is unwilling to learn, it is easy for one to find all the means and ways to avoid it. I may try and hold on and do my part, yet, time wait for no man. If they are unable to use their learning time within my coaching period, I feel sad for them and hope things may change or get better in the future.
I learn to let go, as I can only be with them for so long. I just hope that when they miss learning now, they will catch up some other time in the future when they realise and make a change in their mind set.
Monday, November 29, 2010
A friend is a gift
A friend is a gift which I treasured!
======
Hi Soo Miang,
This is Beng Kin from Malaysia.
Do you still remember me?
I found your blog through the internet that's how I got your email. How are you? You still look as young as ever. I'll be going to Singapore on the 26th of November. Hope to meet up with you.
Do you still keep in touch with Yeow Leong and Tony Ng? I can't find them through Facebook. Looking foward to hearing from you.
Beng Kin
======
It was a read surprise to me when I received the email from Beng Kin, my housemate, roommate and cooking group member back in 1989 - 1990 in Milwaukee,Wisconsin.
I was doing my Masters degree in Library and Information Science at University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee campus. Beng Kin was doing her Degree in English Studies. I joined her and her housemates for cooking during the weekdays. We cook one meal each and have lunch and dinner for 5-6 days. Together with us are Wei Wei and Juan Cheng from Taiwan, Zah Jing, Fong and her from Malaysia, Yeow Leong, Tong Ng and me From Singapore.
On Sunday, we sometime travelled in car to Chicago and have our shopping at China town and harvest back a lot of Chinese foods which were hard to find in Milwaukee.
Our store room for foods in our duplex house, upper level, is like a mini grocery shop. Beng Kin and many of our houesemates are good cook and I alway enjoyed eating dinner prepared by them!
I remembered I was not with them for the first semaster as all the rooms were occupied with at least two persons. I finally joined them when someone graduated and moved out. I then have a chance to stay there till I finish my degree course.
In Aug 1990, on my way home to Singapore, I travelled with them (plus Beng Nee, Beng Kin's sister) and visited Hollywood, Universal Studio and many other interesting places in Los Angeles. We saved a lot on accommondation as we were able to have lodging at Beng Kin's sister's place.
Ofter the LA's tour, I then headed east and stop at Hawaii for 3 days and visited Wei Wei in Taipai before I came back to Singapore.
After returning to Singapore, I think I only managed to visit Beng Kin and Beng Nee in 1998 when I went to KL for a library conference.
Time really fly and we now meet for a second time! It is about 20 years from our Milwaukee's time and she is now a mother of two teenages who are studying in Secondary School in KL!
We have a great time today having Shanghai Tim Sam lunch at City Square Mall and recalling our good time back in 1989 - 1990!
=======
A friend is a gift which I treasured very much!
Dexterine Ho
======
Hi Soo Miang,
This is Beng Kin from Malaysia.
Do you still remember me?
I found your blog through the internet that's how I got your email. How are you? You still look as young as ever. I'll be going to Singapore on the 26th of November. Hope to meet up with you.
Do you still keep in touch with Yeow Leong and Tony Ng? I can't find them through Facebook. Looking foward to hearing from you.
Beng Kin
======
It was a read surprise to me when I received the email from Beng Kin, my housemate, roommate and cooking group member back in 1989 - 1990 in Milwaukee,Wisconsin.
I was doing my Masters degree in Library and Information Science at University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee campus. Beng Kin was doing her Degree in English Studies. I joined her and her housemates for cooking during the weekdays. We cook one meal each and have lunch and dinner for 5-6 days. Together with us are Wei Wei and Juan Cheng from Taiwan, Zah Jing, Fong and her from Malaysia, Yeow Leong, Tong Ng and me From Singapore.
On Sunday, we sometime travelled in car to Chicago and have our shopping at China town and harvest back a lot of Chinese foods which were hard to find in Milwaukee.
Our store room for foods in our duplex house, upper level, is like a mini grocery shop. Beng Kin and many of our houesemates are good cook and I alway enjoyed eating dinner prepared by them!
I remembered I was not with them for the first semaster as all the rooms were occupied with at least two persons. I finally joined them when someone graduated and moved out. I then have a chance to stay there till I finish my degree course.
In Aug 1990, on my way home to Singapore, I travelled with them (plus Beng Nee, Beng Kin's sister) and visited Hollywood, Universal Studio and many other interesting places in Los Angeles. We saved a lot on accommondation as we were able to have lodging at Beng Kin's sister's place.
Ofter the LA's tour, I then headed east and stop at Hawaii for 3 days and visited Wei Wei in Taipai before I came back to Singapore.
After returning to Singapore, I think I only managed to visit Beng Kin and Beng Nee in 1998 when I went to KL for a library conference.
Time really fly and we now meet for a second time! It is about 20 years from our Milwaukee's time and she is now a mother of two teenages who are studying in Secondary School in KL!
We have a great time today having Shanghai Tim Sam lunch at City Square Mall and recalling our good time back in 1989 - 1990!
=======
A friend is a gift which I treasured very much!
Dexterine Ho
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Library of Congress Vs WWW.SG
Library of Congress
http://www.loc.gov/index.html
The Library of Congress (LC), with millions of books, recordings, photographs, maps and manuscripts in its collections, is the oldest federal cultural institution of the United States, and it serves as the research arm of the Congress of US.
The mission of Library of Congress is to make its resources available and useful to the Congress and the American people and to sustain and preserve a universal collection of knowledge and creativity for future generations.
The Library of Congress web site contains selective links providing authoritative, in-depth information about the nations and other areas of the world. They are arranged by country or area with the links for each sorted into a wide range of broad categories.
Here is some links I found which maybe of interest to Singaporean:
COUNTRY PROFILE: SINGAPORE (updated on July 2006)http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/profiles/Singapore.pdf
"Singapore Yearbook"
http://app.www.sg/who/3/Singapore-Yearbook.aspx
http://www.loc.gov/index.html
The Library of Congress (LC), with millions of books, recordings, photographs, maps and manuscripts in its collections, is the oldest federal cultural institution of the United States, and it serves as the research arm of the Congress of US.
The mission of Library of Congress is to make its resources available and useful to the Congress and the American people and to sustain and preserve a universal collection of knowledge and creativity for future generations.
The Library of Congress web site contains selective links providing authoritative, in-depth information about the nations and other areas of the world. They are arranged by country or area with the links for each sorted into a wide range of broad categories.
Here is some links I found which maybe of interest to Singaporean:
COUNTRY PROFILE: SINGAPORE (updated on July 2006)http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/profiles/Singapore.pdf
- Formal Name: Republic of Singapore (English-language name). Also, in other official languages: Republik Singapura (Malay), Xinjiapo Gongheguo― 新加坡共和国 (Chinese), and Cingkappãr ...
- Short Form: Singapore.
- Term for Citizen(s): Singaporean(s).
- Date of Independence: August 31, 1963, from Britain; August 9, 1965, from the Federation of Malaysia.
Other facts and figures may need some update, for details of our country profile created by LC Federal Research Division, visit the page at
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/profiles/Singapore.pdf
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/profiles/Singapore.pdf
A Country Study: Singapore
- Main Title: Singapore : a country study / Federal Research Division, Libarary of Congress ; edited by Barbara Leitch LePoer. Washington, D.C.: The Division: For sale by the Supt. of Docs., U.S. G.P.O., 1991
- Library of Congress Call Number DS609 .S55 1991
- As the data is as of December 1989, the information is good for historical background and general understanding, yet some key statistics, facts and figures need some update.
For those who are interested to have up-todate information about Singapore, the following created by Singapore Government will be a good starting point:
"Your Offical Gateway to Singapore"
http://www.sg/
The site is created and maintained by MICA (The Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts'). Look up under the tag "Who we are" you will see the following:
http://www.sg/
The site is created and maintained by MICA (The Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts'). Look up under the tag "Who we are" you will see the following:
"Singapore at a Glance" at
"Singapore Yearbook"
http://app.www.sg/who/3/Singapore-Yearbook.aspx
- The Singapore Yearbook is an annual update of the major events that have taken place in Singapore and the key achievements of Singapore in the previous calendar year.
- It provides an overview of what each government ministry and their agencies have achieved in the previous calendar year, as well as the projects and initiatives that Singapore is working on to further the progress of Singapore.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Advanced Certificate in Training & Assessment (ACTA)
Today, I received my ACTA Certificate with the help of my ACTA classmate, Ms Seow Hwee Ling.
My Advanced Certificate in Training & Assessment (ACTA) consists of six modules and with the full certification, I am now a certified ACTA trainer, course developer and assessor.
The following quotation come in timely and I would like to share with all who have a passion in teaching and training:
===========
The mediocre teacher tells.
The good teacher explains.
The superior teacher demonstrates.
The great teacher inspires.
-- William Arthur Ward
===========
In teaching or training, telling, explaining, demonstrating and inspiring is our tasks and goals at different level!
I hope I can be an inspiring trainer who is capable of sharing my experience in library and information work through demonstration with explaination.
Dexterine Ho
My Advanced Certificate in Training & Assessment (ACTA) consists of six modules and with the full certification, I am now a certified ACTA trainer, course developer and assessor.
The following quotation come in timely and I would like to share with all who have a passion in teaching and training:
===========
The mediocre teacher tells.
The good teacher explains.
The superior teacher demonstrates.
The great teacher inspires.
-- William Arthur Ward
===========
In teaching or training, telling, explaining, demonstrating and inspiring is our tasks and goals at different level!
I hope I can be an inspiring trainer who is capable of sharing my experience in library and information work through demonstration with explaination.
Dexterine Ho
While you are in trouble
I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection.
-- Thomas Paine (1737-1809) British-American Writer
I would like to be a person who can gather strength from distress and smile in trouble. With that, I may grow brave by reflection!
Only when we have experience distress, we know we need strength to battle with life and stand against all odds!
When we are able to gather strength from distress, we can then smile in trouble and grow brave by reflection.
In life, without distress, we may not gather strength, and we can not grow brave as nothing is there for our reflection.
Hence, in retrospect, your distress in life is helping you to gather strength and allow you to be braver than you usually are!
Dexterine Ho
-- Thomas Paine (1737-1809) British-American Writer
I would like to be a person who can gather strength from distress and smile in trouble. With that, I may grow brave by reflection!
Only when we have experience distress, we know we need strength to battle with life and stand against all odds!
When we are able to gather strength from distress, we can then smile in trouble and grow brave by reflection.
In life, without distress, we may not gather strength, and we can not grow brave as nothing is there for our reflection.
Hence, in retrospect, your distress in life is helping you to gather strength and allow you to be braver than you usually are!
Dexterine Ho
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Successful vs unsuccessful
Successful people are always looking for opportunities to help others. Unsuccessful people are always asking, 'What's in it for me?
-- Brian Tracy
I like this quotation!
Always looking for opportunities to help others!
A successful person is making the world better when he or she is around!
Cheers!
Dexterine Ho
-- Brian Tracy
I like this quotation!
Always looking for opportunities to help others!
A successful person is making the world better when he or she is around!
Cheers!
Dexterine Ho
Friday, November 19, 2010
To profit from knowledge which we do not possess
It is largely because civilization enables us constantly to profit from knowledge which we individually do not possess
and
because each individual's use of his particular knowledge may serve to assist others unknown to him
in achieving their ends that men as members of civilized society can pursue their individual ends
so much more successfully than they could alone.
*** F. A. Hayek ***
How "to profit from knowledge which we do not possess"?
My simple answer: Read books and visit library or book store from time to time!
Cheers!
Dexterine Ho
and
because each individual's use of his particular knowledge may serve to assist others unknown to him
in achieving their ends that men as members of civilized society can pursue their individual ends
so much more successfully than they could alone.
*** F. A. Hayek ***
How "to profit from knowledge which we do not possess"?
My simple answer: Read books and visit library or book store from time to time!
Cheers!
Dexterine Ho
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Think creatively
"To think creatively, we must be able to look afresh at what we normally take for granted."
- George Kneller
For those who are very forgetful like me, to look afresh at what we had seen maybe a natural inclination as our memory bank is not able to store things in the random access index file for too long.
Hence, being forgetful, I sometime took photos of whatever I had seen over and over again, yet the angle I used is somehow different each time. It then allows me to look at the same thing from different angle and in new perspective!
I think creative approach to problem solving is just allowing yourself to try various way of approaching the problem and resolve it in a way you never expect it at first!
Dexterine Ho
- George Kneller
For those who are very forgetful like me, to look afresh at what we had seen maybe a natural inclination as our memory bank is not able to store things in the random access index file for too long.
Hence, being forgetful, I sometime took photos of whatever I had seen over and over again, yet the angle I used is somehow different each time. It then allows me to look at the same thing from different angle and in new perspective!
I think creative approach to problem solving is just allowing yourself to try various way of approaching the problem and resolve it in a way you never expect it at first!
Dexterine Ho
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Quotations about Libraries
If you like to read and search for quotes with Library or Libraries and Librarian or Librarians as a keyword, you may be glad to read:
Quotations about Libraries http://www.quotegarden.com/libraries.html
Here are some quotations that I like very much:
Libraries: The medicine chest of the soul. ~Library at Thebes, inscription over the door
A library is thought in cold storage. ~Herbert Samuel
The best of my education has come from the public library... my tuition fee is a bus fare and once in a while, five cents a day for an overdue book. You don't need to know very much to start with, if you know the way to the public library. ~Lesley Conger
As a child, my number one best friend was the librarian in my grade school. I actually believed all those books belonged to her. ~Erma Bombeck
To those with ears to hear, libraries are really very noisy places. On their shelves we hear the captured voices of the centuries-old conversation that makes up our civilization. ~Timothy Healy
If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need. ~Cicero
Here is where people,
One frequently finds,
Lower their voices
And raise their minds. ~Richard Armour, "Library"
A great library contains the diary of the human race. ~George Mercer Dawson
I love the place; the magnificent books; I require books as I require air. ~Sholem Asch
The richest person in the world - in fact all the riches in the world - couldn't provide you with anything like the endless, incredible loot available at your local library. ~Malcolm Forbes
I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library. ~Jorge Luis Borges
A good library will never be too neat, or too dusty, because somebody will always be in it, taking books off the shelves and staying up late reading them. ~Lemony Snicket
The library is not a shrine for the worship of books. It is not a temple where literary incense must be burned or where one's devotion to the bound book is expressed in ritual. A library, to modify the famous metaphor of Socrates, should be the delivery room for the birth of ideas - a place where history comes to life. ~Norman Cousins
Consider what you have in the smallest chosen library. A company of the wisest and wittiest men that could be picked out of all civil countries, in a thousand years, have set in best order the results of their learning and wisdom. The men themselves were hid and inaccessible, solitary, impatient of interruption, fenced by etiquette; but the thought which they did not uncover to their bosom friend is here written out in transparent words to us, the strangers of another age. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Books," Society and Solitude
Librarians are almost always very helpful and often almost absurdly knowledgeable. Their skills are probably very underestimated and largely underemployed. ~Charles Medawar
A university is just a group of buildings gathered around a library. ~Shelby Foote
Libraries are reservoirs of strength, grace and wit, reminders of order, calm and continuity, lakes of mental energy, neither warm nor cold, light nor dark.... In any library in the world, I am at home, unselfconscious, still and absorbed. ~Germaine Greer
Librarian is a service occupation. Gas station attendant of the mind. ~Richard Powers
The student has his Rome, his Florence, his whole glowing Italy, within the four walls of his library. He has in his books the ruins of an antique world and the glories of a modern one. ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
The library connects us with the insight and knowledge, painfully extracted from Nature, of the greatest minds that ever were, with the best teachers, drawn from the entire planet and from all our history, to instruct us without tiring, and to inspire us to make our own contribution to the collective knowledge of the human species. I think the health of our civilization, the depth of our awareness about the underpinnings of our culture and our concern for the future can all be tested by how well we support our libraries. ~Carl Sagan, Cosmos
Quotations about Libraries http://www.quotegarden.com/libraries.html
Here are some quotations that I like very much:
Libraries: The medicine chest of the soul. ~Library at Thebes, inscription over the door
A library is thought in cold storage. ~Herbert Samuel
The best of my education has come from the public library... my tuition fee is a bus fare and once in a while, five cents a day for an overdue book. You don't need to know very much to start with, if you know the way to the public library. ~Lesley Conger
As a child, my number one best friend was the librarian in my grade school. I actually believed all those books belonged to her. ~Erma Bombeck
To those with ears to hear, libraries are really very noisy places. On their shelves we hear the captured voices of the centuries-old conversation that makes up our civilization. ~Timothy Healy
If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need. ~Cicero
Here is where people,
One frequently finds,
Lower their voices
And raise their minds. ~Richard Armour, "Library"
A great library contains the diary of the human race. ~George Mercer Dawson
I love the place; the magnificent books; I require books as I require air. ~Sholem Asch
The richest person in the world - in fact all the riches in the world - couldn't provide you with anything like the endless, incredible loot available at your local library. ~Malcolm Forbes
I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library. ~Jorge Luis Borges
A good library will never be too neat, or too dusty, because somebody will always be in it, taking books off the shelves and staying up late reading them. ~Lemony Snicket
The library is not a shrine for the worship of books. It is not a temple where literary incense must be burned or where one's devotion to the bound book is expressed in ritual. A library, to modify the famous metaphor of Socrates, should be the delivery room for the birth of ideas - a place where history comes to life. ~Norman Cousins
Consider what you have in the smallest chosen library. A company of the wisest and wittiest men that could be picked out of all civil countries, in a thousand years, have set in best order the results of their learning and wisdom. The men themselves were hid and inaccessible, solitary, impatient of interruption, fenced by etiquette; but the thought which they did not uncover to their bosom friend is here written out in transparent words to us, the strangers of another age. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Books," Society and Solitude
Librarians are almost always very helpful and often almost absurdly knowledgeable. Their skills are probably very underestimated and largely underemployed. ~Charles Medawar
A university is just a group of buildings gathered around a library. ~Shelby Foote
Libraries are reservoirs of strength, grace and wit, reminders of order, calm and continuity, lakes of mental energy, neither warm nor cold, light nor dark.... In any library in the world, I am at home, unselfconscious, still and absorbed. ~Germaine Greer
Librarian is a service occupation. Gas station attendant of the mind. ~Richard Powers
The student has his Rome, his Florence, his whole glowing Italy, within the four walls of his library. He has in his books the ruins of an antique world and the glories of a modern one. ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
The library connects us with the insight and knowledge, painfully extracted from Nature, of the greatest minds that ever were, with the best teachers, drawn from the entire planet and from all our history, to instruct us without tiring, and to inspire us to make our own contribution to the collective knowledge of the human species. I think the health of our civilization, the depth of our awareness about the underpinnings of our culture and our concern for the future can all be tested by how well we support our libraries. ~Carl Sagan, Cosmos
Tuesday, November 09, 2010
Love and approval
"We all have the power to define our own worth and bring love into ourselves.
While you might think that the only love that feels really great is love from another person, this is a huge false belief.
If you have ever experienced a moment where you feel full and joyous for no external reason, you know that it is possible to feel incredibly wonderful without another's love and approval."
Email message from "The Values We Live By Are Worth More When We Pass Them On : INNERWORKS SEMINARS" from innerworks@gmail.com
While you might think that the only love that feels really great is love from another person, this is a huge false belief.
If you have ever experienced a moment where you feel full and joyous for no external reason, you know that it is possible to feel incredibly wonderful without another's love and approval."
Email message from "The Values We Live By Are Worth More When We Pass Them On : INNERWORKS SEMINARS" from innerworks@gmail.com
Saturday, November 06, 2010
You can't change the whole world
Maybe you can't change the whole world, but if you have love in your heart you can make small differences every day, which really does change the world, one life at a time.
-- Kristina Koncz
-- Kristina Koncz
Friday, November 05, 2010
Not to live backwards
Often people attempt to live their lives backwards:
they try to have more things, or more money, in order to do more of what they want so they will be happier.
The way it actually works is the reverse.
You must first be who you really are, then do what you love to do, in order to have what you want.
-- Margaret Young
they try to have more things, or more money, in order to do more of what they want so they will be happier.
The way it actually works is the reverse.
You must first be who you really are, then do what you love to do, in order to have what you want.
-- Margaret Young
Thursday, November 04, 2010
Look at what you have in life
If you look at what you have in life, you'll always have more.
If you look at what you don't have in life, you'll never have enough.
-- Oprah Winfrey
If you look at what you don't have in life, you'll never have enough.
-- Oprah Winfrey
Friday, October 29, 2010
Marketing and Promoting Library Services
"In today's competitive environment, libraries face an increasing challenge in reaching out to both their existing and potential users. What used to be a relatively remote concept in the library profession, marketing and promotion is now one of the essential tools for libraries to their outreach efforts. Some possible questions then would be the relevance of marketing and promotion to library services and the most effective methods to employ."
Source of information: email from Professional & International Relations, National Library Board, dated 18 Oct 2010
With the assistance from Goethe-Institute, the Professional & International Relations, National Library Board invited Ms Barbara Lison for Professional Talks Series today.
Ms Lison is Director at the Public Library of Bremen in Germany, with her invaluable experience, her sharing and on the value and importance of marketing and promotion in public library is very stimulating.
Here is the details of the talk I attended today:
Topic : Marketing and Promoting Library Services
Speaker : Ms Barbara Lison
Director, Public Library of Bremen, Germany
Date : 29 Oct 10, Friday
Time : 4.00pm - 5.30pm
Venue : Possibility Room, Level 5, National Library Building
LAS Professional Development Scheme (PDS) Points: 46
Barbara Lison is the Director at Public Library of Bremen, a position she has held since 1992. She is responsible for a library system with nearly ten different units. During the last few years, her main professional issues were the modernisation of the Public Library of Bremen and the project for a new Central Library.
Having held several professional positions, she has been very active in library policy and development on the level of the European Union having taken part in different European Union projects. She has also been engaged in the activities of German national and European professional library organisations. Over the past couple of years Ms Lison has been working for the Bertelsmann Foundation and the Goethe-Institute as an expert for library affairs.
In this afternoon session, Ms Lison shared the process of marketing and relate it to library and information services in Bremen, Germany. "Libraries nowadays evolve in an everchanging environment with competition from various fronts, it is paramount that libraries and librarians are equipped with an understanding and appreciation for the value and importance of marketing and promotion in any type of library or information centre."
She also identified various considerations when selecting specific marketing or promotion methods for use within Bremen's Public Library context.
As I was curious about the Maccot cartoon (Brementown Musicians) used in the presentation, I was lead by Ms Lison to visit the following audio story in flash:
Brementown Musicians
http://www.brementownmusicians.com/flash/story/en
As I never read the story of "Brementown Musicians" before, this interesting audio story allows me to patch the hole of my unknown world. At least, now Bremen Town is linked to Brementown Musicians (Chanter: the Donkey, Anciano: the dog, Songe: the cat and Belement Chanticleer: the rooster).
After the talk, I just visit the websit of "Bremen Public Library" at http://www.bremen.lib.in.us/
I like the quotation below the address: "We link our community to the world; past, present and future" and I find some interest and unique contents on the home page with the following links:
Community Heritage Online Databases
•Bremen Obituaries
•Bremen Cemetery
Bremen Obituaries at http://www.bremen.lib.in.us/historical/bpl_obituaries.asp
"Obituaries from The Bremen Enquirer. 11,883 records entered as of 11/17/2008. We have completed all years prior to 1997..."
I think the library have a unique community database which is not common to me who are in Library and Information service for years.
Well, I think it is not our way of "Marketing and Promoting Library Services" at the present moment, yet it may be a good reference point as our Nation is looking at the needs of the "Silver Ages". Maybe it is something we can consider as the service will be well appreciated by the Library users.
Source of information: email from Professional & International Relations, National Library Board, dated 18 Oct 2010
With the assistance from Goethe-Institute, the Professional & International Relations, National Library Board invited Ms Barbara Lison for Professional Talks Series today.
Ms Lison is Director at the Public Library of Bremen in Germany, with her invaluable experience, her sharing and on the value and importance of marketing and promotion in public library is very stimulating.
Here is the details of the talk I attended today:
Topic : Marketing and Promoting Library Services
Speaker : Ms Barbara Lison
Director, Public Library of Bremen, Germany
Date : 29 Oct 10, Friday
Time : 4.00pm - 5.30pm
Venue : Possibility Room, Level 5, National Library Building
LAS Professional Development Scheme (PDS) Points: 46
Barbara Lison is the Director at Public Library of Bremen, a position she has held since 1992. She is responsible for a library system with nearly ten different units. During the last few years, her main professional issues were the modernisation of the Public Library of Bremen and the project for a new Central Library.
Having held several professional positions, she has been very active in library policy and development on the level of the European Union having taken part in different European Union projects. She has also been engaged in the activities of German national and European professional library organisations. Over the past couple of years Ms Lison has been working for the Bertelsmann Foundation and the Goethe-Institute as an expert for library affairs.
In this afternoon session, Ms Lison shared the process of marketing and relate it to library and information services in Bremen, Germany. "Libraries nowadays evolve in an everchanging environment with competition from various fronts, it is paramount that libraries and librarians are equipped with an understanding and appreciation for the value and importance of marketing and promotion in any type of library or information centre."
She also identified various considerations when selecting specific marketing or promotion methods for use within Bremen's Public Library context.
As I was curious about the Maccot cartoon (Brementown Musicians) used in the presentation, I was lead by Ms Lison to visit the following audio story in flash:
Brementown Musicians
http://www.brementownmusicians.com/flash/story/en
As I never read the story of "Brementown Musicians" before, this interesting audio story allows me to patch the hole of my unknown world. At least, now Bremen Town is linked to Brementown Musicians (Chanter: the Donkey, Anciano: the dog, Songe: the cat and Belement Chanticleer: the rooster).
After the talk, I just visit the websit of "Bremen Public Library" at http://www.bremen.lib.in.us/
I like the quotation below the address: "We link our community to the world; past, present and future" and I find some interest and unique contents on the home page with the following links:
Community Heritage Online Databases
•Bremen Obituaries
•Bremen Cemetery
Bremen Obituaries at http://www.bremen.lib.in.us/historical/bpl_obituaries.asp
"Obituaries from The Bremen Enquirer. 11,883 records entered as of 11/17/2008. We have completed all years prior to 1997..."
I think the library have a unique community database which is not common to me who are in Library and Information service for years.
Well, I think it is not our way of "Marketing and Promoting Library Services" at the present moment, yet it may be a good reference point as our Nation is looking at the needs of the "Silver Ages". Maybe it is something we can consider as the service will be well appreciated by the Library users.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Visiting Health Information Centre (HIC)
Always laugh when you can. It is cheap medicine.
-- Lord Byron (1788-1824) English Poet
The visit to the Health Information Centre (HIC), Health Promotion Board today starts with a talk on laughter and it is great to have the laughter exercise "Laughter Yoga" as an Ice Breaker.
All the visitors from different libraries feel so good and smile their way throughout the visit.
The visit today is organised by LAS Programmes and Social Committee.
Health Information Centre (HIC), Health Promotion Board is a library that specialises in health education, health promotion and disease prevention resources.
HIC offers a collection of health related books, journals and magazines, audio-visual resources and print resources and exhibition panels on a wide range of health topics.
Our group was briefed by Ms Flora Bay, Manager of HIC. I had my BMI and blood pressure checked at Health Zone and glad to note that all are within the normal range!
As I was very impressed with the visit and like the HIC collection very much, I enroll myself as a library member by paying $20 refundable deposit on the spot!
Here is the detail programme of the day:
Date: 28 October 2010 (Thursday)
Time: 2:00 pm – 5.00 pm
Meeting Point: Lobby of Health Promotion Board, 3 Second Hospital Avenue, Singapore 168937
MRT: Outram Park (SGH exit)
Registration is on a first-come-first served basis. Maximum group size: 50
Programme:
2.00 – 2.15 pm Meet @ Lobby of Health Promotion Board
2.15 – 3.15 pm Health Talk on Laughter and Laughter Yoga with Demonstrations
3.15 - 4.30 pm Tour of HealthZone/Viewing of HIC resources
(Divide in 2 groups)
4.30 – 5.00 pm Tea/Networking
5pm End of Visit
For those who miss this visit, you may visit the links available at
HPB Online and click the link under "Health Information Centre' http://www.hpb.gov.sg/hpb/default.asp?pg_id=961
Professional Development Scheme (PDS) Points
Eligible for PDS Points:
This activity attracts 46 points under the Industry Knowledge Development (ID) category. " Study visit to other libraries (local and overseas)"
-- Lord Byron (1788-1824) English Poet
The visit to the Health Information Centre (HIC), Health Promotion Board today starts with a talk on laughter and it is great to have the laughter exercise "Laughter Yoga" as an Ice Breaker.
All the visitors from different libraries feel so good and smile their way throughout the visit.
The visit today is organised by LAS Programmes and Social Committee.
Health Information Centre (HIC), Health Promotion Board is a library that specialises in health education, health promotion and disease prevention resources.
HIC offers a collection of health related books, journals and magazines, audio-visual resources and print resources and exhibition panels on a wide range of health topics.
Our group was briefed by Ms Flora Bay, Manager of HIC. I had my BMI and blood pressure checked at Health Zone and glad to note that all are within the normal range!
As I was very impressed with the visit and like the HIC collection very much, I enroll myself as a library member by paying $20 refundable deposit on the spot!
Here is the detail programme of the day:
Date: 28 October 2010 (Thursday)
Time: 2:00 pm – 5.00 pm
Meeting Point: Lobby of Health Promotion Board, 3 Second Hospital Avenue, Singapore 168937
MRT: Outram Park (SGH exit)
Registration is on a first-come-first served basis. Maximum group size: 50
Programme:
2.00 – 2.15 pm Meet @ Lobby of Health Promotion Board
2.15 – 3.15 pm Health Talk on Laughter and Laughter Yoga with Demonstrations
3.15 - 4.30 pm Tour of HealthZone/Viewing of HIC resources
(Divide in 2 groups)
4.30 – 5.00 pm Tea/Networking
5pm End of Visit
For those who miss this visit, you may visit the links available at
HPB Online and click the link under "Health Information Centre' http://www.hpb.gov.sg/hpb/default.asp?pg_id=961
Professional Development Scheme (PDS) Points
Eligible for PDS Points:
This activity attracts 46 points under the Industry Knowledge Development (ID) category. " Study visit to other libraries (local and overseas)"
Monday, October 18, 2010
Web of life
Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect.
-- Chief Seattle (1780-1866)
Understand it from the perspective of Internet, we can understand all things are bould together and all things connect.
Yet, Internet and humankind have not woven the real web of life. Internet and we as humankind are just one thread within it. We just being a small part of the web of life.
Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves, yet it also bound us with the bigger web we live our life with!
Hence, when we blog, we connect, we weave the thread, we do to the web, we do to ourselves!
Dexterine Ho
-- Chief Seattle (1780-1866)
Understand it from the perspective of Internet, we can understand all things are bould together and all things connect.
Yet, Internet and humankind have not woven the real web of life. Internet and we as humankind are just one thread within it. We just being a small part of the web of life.
Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves, yet it also bound us with the bigger web we live our life with!
Hence, when we blog, we connect, we weave the thread, we do to the web, we do to ourselves!
Dexterine Ho
Monday, October 11, 2010
When Nations Remember: an International Conference on Memory
11-12 Oct 2010, Carlton Hotel, Singapore
When Nations Remember: an International Conference on Memory, is organised by National Library Singapore and supported by International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) and Institutions & Library Association of Singapore (LAS).
The programme I attended today are as follows:
Monday 11 October 2010
Conference Day One
8.30am – 9.00am Registration for Conference Delegates @ Carlton Hotel Singapore
9.00am – 9.15am Opening Address by Mrs Phoon Chew Ping, Chief Executive, National Library Board
9.15am – 10.00am Keynote Address "American Memory and the Evolution of the World Digital Library" by John van Oudenaren, Director, World Digital Library
10.00am – 10.30am "When Nations Remember – Delivering a New Generation National Library of New Zealand: A Practical Perspective" by Ms Penny Carnaby, Chief Executive / National Librarian from National Library of New Zealand
10.30am – 11.00am "The Memory of the Netherlands: Towards a National Infrastructure" by Dr J.S.M (Bas) Savenije, Director General from Koninklijke Bibliotheek (National Library of Netherlands)
11.00am – 11.15am Tea Break
11.15am – 11.45am "UNESCO’s Memory of the World Programme: Global Approach to preserving and accessing documentary heritage" by Ms Joie Springer, Senior Programme Specialist, Memory of the World Programme from UNESCO
11.45am – 12.15pm "Presentation on Singapore Memory Project" by Mr Gene Tan, Programme Director, Singapore Memory Project
Personally, I am very impressed with Gene's light-hearted way of presenting "The Singapore Memory Project (SMP)".
A national project to tell the "Singapore Story" and to collect, preserve and access Singapore’s knowledge assets can be very "Heavy" to listen, yet his choice of words and his humourous ways of translating what is in his and our minds have turn the session to be the most memorable one for many participants.
"The Singapore Memory Project (SMP)" is a national knowledge initiative to collect, organise, preserve our cultural and intellectual memory for research and discovery.
After I listen to his presentation, I think "Singapore Memory Project" are now linked in my heart with two keywords: "Love" and "Soul", I think with the love one has for our family, our neighbourhood, our community our country, Singaporean will be able to answer the question: What is the Soul of Singapore?
I think "Singapore Memory Project" will create a truly proliferative movement and move the nation to build the project in that direction.
With that in my mind, I think
"Singapore Memory Project: a whole-of-nation collaborative initiative facilitated by the National Library Singapore and in strong partnership with heritage, academic and research institutions, government institutions, people agencies, companies, NGOs and a host of enthusiastic Singaporeans all eager to share their Singapore Memory"
is not just an official statement in print.
12.35pm – 1.15pm Q & A
1.15pm – 2.30pm Lunch
Session B – Experiences
■Mad About Singapore Buses
If you missed the tour, just follow the youtube programme and all the links to have some ideas of the groups' work and their intest in Singapore Buses:
We were lead by James Lee and the group for the tour of Bus Depot, Interchange and many interesting sites related to buses in the 1970's, 1980's. 1990's and the current decades. I took some videorecordings for the tour and download them to conference organiser's computer for their selection. Hopefully, some clips maybe selected for future use!
When Nations Remember: an International Conference on Memory, is organised by National Library Singapore and supported by International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) and Institutions & Library Association of Singapore (LAS).
The programme I attended today are as follows:
Monday 11 October 2010
Conference Day One
8.30am – 9.00am Registration for Conference Delegates @ Carlton Hotel Singapore
9.00am – 9.15am Opening Address by Mrs Phoon Chew Ping, Chief Executive, National Library Board
9.15am – 10.00am Keynote Address "American Memory and the Evolution of the World Digital Library" by John van Oudenaren, Director, World Digital Library
10.00am – 10.30am "When Nations Remember – Delivering a New Generation National Library of New Zealand: A Practical Perspective" by Ms Penny Carnaby, Chief Executive / National Librarian from National Library of New Zealand
10.30am – 11.00am "The Memory of the Netherlands: Towards a National Infrastructure" by Dr J.S.M (Bas) Savenije, Director General from Koninklijke Bibliotheek (National Library of Netherlands)
11.00am – 11.15am Tea Break
11.15am – 11.45am "UNESCO’s Memory of the World Programme: Global Approach to preserving and accessing documentary heritage" by Ms Joie Springer, Senior Programme Specialist, Memory of the World Programme from UNESCO
11.45am – 12.15pm "Presentation on Singapore Memory Project" by Mr Gene Tan, Programme Director, Singapore Memory Project
Personally, I am very impressed with Gene's light-hearted way of presenting "The Singapore Memory Project (SMP)".
A national project to tell the "Singapore Story" and to collect, preserve and access Singapore’s knowledge assets can be very "Heavy" to listen, yet his choice of words and his humourous ways of translating what is in his and our minds have turn the session to be the most memorable one for many participants.
"The Singapore Memory Project (SMP)" is a national knowledge initiative to collect, organise, preserve our cultural and intellectual memory for research and discovery.
After I listen to his presentation, I think "Singapore Memory Project" are now linked in my heart with two keywords: "Love" and "Soul", I think with the love one has for our family, our neighbourhood, our community our country, Singaporean will be able to answer the question: What is the Soul of Singapore?
I think "Singapore Memory Project" will create a truly proliferative movement and move the nation to build the project in that direction.
With that in my mind, I think
"Singapore Memory Project: a whole-of-nation collaborative initiative facilitated by the National Library Singapore and in strong partnership with heritage, academic and research institutions, government institutions, people agencies, companies, NGOs and a host of enthusiastic Singaporeans all eager to share their Singapore Memory"
is not just an official statement in print.
12.35pm – 1.15pm Q & A
1.15pm – 2.30pm Lunch
Session B – Experiences
■Mad About Singapore Buses
If you missed the tour, just follow the youtube programme and all the links to have some ideas of the groups' work and their intest in Singapore Buses:
We were lead by James Lee and the group for the tour of Bus Depot, Interchange and many interesting sites related to buses in the 1970's, 1980's. 1990's and the current decades. I took some videorecordings for the tour and download them to conference organiser's computer for their selection. Hopefully, some clips maybe selected for future use!
Friday, September 24, 2010
我心中的中峇鲁
After using "中峇鲁" in Chinese text and google , I found this article today:
文章标题：我心中的中峇鲁 发表日期：2010-07-20（2010-08-05修改）
作 者：骆宾路
2010年07月20日，星期二
2010-8-5 13:26:22 被依林编辑过
For full text of the article, visit the link:
http://sgcls.zhongwenlink.com/news_read.asp?NewsID=8700
Here are some interesting facts and history related to Tiong Bahru Estate mentioned in the article:
* 中峇鲁是英殖民政府属下改良信托局于上世纪四十年代初所建的居屋，是目前属于政府管辖下屋龄约七十年的最老的组屋区。
* 二次大战前，中峇鲁区只限于中峇鲁路（即现今的大牌五十五座至威镇庙）、中保路、成保路、英云街、永发街、源全街、齐贤街、炳源街及薛华街一带，人口不是很多。二次大战之后至新加坡独立，中峇鲁区扩建至成保路右侧，今之中峇鲁巴刹及食阁一带以及中峇鲁路南面原属坟山一带，即原南洋工商补习学校对面并延至今之中峇鲁广场。
* 中峇鲁在二次世界大战期间，遭受日军空袭。中峇鲁五层楼炳源街有一个单位受炸。我家齐贤街前的草坪也落过两枚炸弹，一枚爆炸，一枚是死弹。日军蹂躏新加坡百姓三年八个月，中峇鲁也不能幸免。我们这些适龄学童都成了失学儿童。新加坡光复之后，华校复课，中峇鲁这批失学儿童都拥到南洋工商补习学校就读。
* 当年住在中峇鲁一伙小伙伴，已经走的据知有前华语话剧资深导演、演员张维明（维爵），恐怕他是住在中峇鲁区最早走的一个（一九七六年）。前《人闻月刊》创办人杨明兴（笔名鸣人）也在几年前走了。
* 曾经住在中峇鲁老区的，还有老报人傅无闷一家，夫人刘韵仙、公子傅超仁、傅超贤。他们就住在我家（齐贤街）斜对面（源全街）四楼一个单位。
* 前杨协成酱油厂老板昆仲，弟弟也是住在源全街和傅无闷一家比邻；哥哥一家是住在齐贤街和我家比邻。
* 前南洋工商补习学校龙姓美术老师也是住在源全街，龙老师的公子郁君贻年少负笈英国，是英国皇家钢琴学院的教授，二十一世纪中，曾在新加坡出任南洋艺术学院院长。龙家千金郁君谋是钢琴家。
* 此外同在中峇鲁区的玩伴，还有前国会议员政务部长庄日昆、前宏文学校校长杨先景、南大史地系第一届毕业生林肯俐、留学澳洲（不知有没有记错）著名建筑师杨树先，还有杨柳芳、杨柳青等。在南洋工商补习学校和我同班的何炯照（据说他留学英国后曾出任海港局高职）、朱智生（其父，一时记不起他的名字，是前中国银行高级职员）等。
* 住在齐贤街还有两家吴姓家庭，吴敬山和我大哥曾是中国银行同事，弟弟吴仰山，另有一个和我年龄相近的弟弟就记不起他的名字了。他的姐姐和我姐姐年龄相近，如果没有记错名字是叫吴楚燕。
* 另一家吴姓家庭有两个姐妹是前南桥女中的学生，篮球打得顶好，是校代表队主力球员，一叫吴楚文，一个好像叫吴楚珊。
* 当年我的小学（南洋工商补习学校）老师住在中峇鲁的有前南洋工商补习学校校长陈国祥、陈姓英语老师，听说现在旅居美国，今年高龄应该有八十几了。
* 余松年（已故）以及夫人马老师住在成保路。庄令昭老师（已故）住在今中峇鲁路大牌五十五座二楼一个单位。已故资深作家姚紫也曾住在中峇鲁路南后期扩建的居屋。至今仍扬名歌坛的资深女歌唱家潘秀琼也曾住在战后扩建的中峇鲁路的居屋。
* 有人说，中峇鲁是个老化了的老区。守在这里的老一辈，心中仍有很多中峇鲁说不完的、精彩的、动人的故事。不管你今日住在哪个角落，只要听到你是在中峇鲁住过的，大家会格外感到亲切。这是一个原住民缅怀的地方。
For full text of the article, visit the link:
http://sgcls.zhongwenlink.com/news_read.asp?NewsID=8700
I get very nostalgic when I read the article. I was very touched by the author as he is very detailed in recalling the names, past events and fill the lines with sentimental statements. I wish I could do the same when I am at his age! Reading his narration of event happened in the estate for the past 70 years is like watching a documentary on screen!
Highly recommended for reading!
Dexterine Ho
文章标题：我心中的中峇鲁 发表日期：2010-07-20（2010-08-05修改）
作 者：骆宾路
2010年07月20日，星期二
2010-8-5 13:26:22 被依林编辑过
For full text of the article, visit the link:
http://sgcls.zhongwenlink.com/news_read.asp?NewsID=8700
Here are some interesting facts and history related to Tiong Bahru Estate mentioned in the article:
* 中峇鲁是英殖民政府属下改良信托局于上世纪四十年代初所建的居屋，是目前属于政府管辖下屋龄约七十年的最老的组屋区。
* 二次大战前，中峇鲁区只限于中峇鲁路（即现今的大牌五十五座至威镇庙）、中保路、成保路、英云街、永发街、源全街、齐贤街、炳源街及薛华街一带，人口不是很多。二次大战之后至新加坡独立，中峇鲁区扩建至成保路右侧，今之中峇鲁巴刹及食阁一带以及中峇鲁路南面原属坟山一带，即原南洋工商补习学校对面并延至今之中峇鲁广场。
* 中峇鲁在二次世界大战期间，遭受日军空袭。中峇鲁五层楼炳源街有一个单位受炸。我家齐贤街前的草坪也落过两枚炸弹，一枚爆炸，一枚是死弹。日军蹂躏新加坡百姓三年八个月，中峇鲁也不能幸免。我们这些适龄学童都成了失学儿童。新加坡光复之后，华校复课，中峇鲁这批失学儿童都拥到南洋工商补习学校就读。
* 当年住在中峇鲁一伙小伙伴，已经走的据知有前华语话剧资深导演、演员张维明（维爵），恐怕他是住在中峇鲁区最早走的一个（一九七六年）。前《人闻月刊》创办人杨明兴（笔名鸣人）也在几年前走了。
* 曾经住在中峇鲁老区的，还有老报人傅无闷一家，夫人刘韵仙、公子傅超仁、傅超贤。他们就住在我家（齐贤街）斜对面（源全街）四楼一个单位。
* 前杨协成酱油厂老板昆仲，弟弟也是住在源全街和傅无闷一家比邻；哥哥一家是住在齐贤街和我家比邻。
* 前南洋工商补习学校龙姓美术老师也是住在源全街，龙老师的公子郁君贻年少负笈英国，是英国皇家钢琴学院的教授，二十一世纪中，曾在新加坡出任南洋艺术学院院长。龙家千金郁君谋是钢琴家。
* 此外同在中峇鲁区的玩伴，还有前国会议员政务部长庄日昆、前宏文学校校长杨先景、南大史地系第一届毕业生林肯俐、留学澳洲（不知有没有记错）著名建筑师杨树先，还有杨柳芳、杨柳青等。在南洋工商补习学校和我同班的何炯照（据说他留学英国后曾出任海港局高职）、朱智生（其父，一时记不起他的名字，是前中国银行高级职员）等。
* 住在齐贤街还有两家吴姓家庭，吴敬山和我大哥曾是中国银行同事，弟弟吴仰山，另有一个和我年龄相近的弟弟就记不起他的名字了。他的姐姐和我姐姐年龄相近，如果没有记错名字是叫吴楚燕。
* 另一家吴姓家庭有两个姐妹是前南桥女中的学生，篮球打得顶好，是校代表队主力球员，一叫吴楚文，一个好像叫吴楚珊。
* 当年我的小学（南洋工商补习学校）老师住在中峇鲁的有前南洋工商补习学校校长陈国祥、陈姓英语老师，听说现在旅居美国，今年高龄应该有八十几了。
* 余松年（已故）以及夫人马老师住在成保路。庄令昭老师（已故）住在今中峇鲁路大牌五十五座二楼一个单位。已故资深作家姚紫也曾住在中峇鲁路南后期扩建的居屋。至今仍扬名歌坛的资深女歌唱家潘秀琼也曾住在战后扩建的中峇鲁路的居屋。
* 有人说，中峇鲁是个老化了的老区。守在这里的老一辈，心中仍有很多中峇鲁说不完的、精彩的、动人的故事。不管你今日住在哪个角落，只要听到你是在中峇鲁住过的，大家会格外感到亲切。这是一个原住民缅怀的地方。
For full text of the article, visit the link:
http://sgcls.zhongwenlink.com/news_read.asp?NewsID=8700
I get very nostalgic when I read the article. I was very touched by the author as he is very detailed in recalling the names, past events and fill the lines with sentimental statements. I wish I could do the same when I am at his age! Reading his narration of event happened in the estate for the past 70 years is like watching a documentary on screen!
Highly recommended for reading!
Dexterine Ho
Monday, September 20, 2010
Tiong Bahru: Article in Chinese found via Google's Cache
I just run a google search on Tiong Bahru and found the following Chinese article:
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:TuWW_4RtT3oJ:big5.17u.com/blog/article/153971.html+%22tiong+poh+road%22&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=sg&lr=lang_zh-TW
中峇魯，拐個彎就是一道風景
This is Google's cache of http://big5.17u.com/blog/article/153971.html. It is a snapshot of the page as it appeared on 27 Aug 2010 00:05:34 GMT. The current page could have changed in the meantime.
中峇魯，拐個彎就是一道風景
[原創]作者：佳寶 日期：2008-6-12
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:TuWW_4RtT3oJ:big5.17u.com/blog/article/153971.html+%22tiong+poh+road%22&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=sg&lr=lang_zh-TW
中峇魯是繁忙市區的一片清涼之地，空氣彌散著一種悠閑的味道
沒有到過中峇魯，你很難想像繁忙的城市裏還有這麼一片清涼之地。它範圍不大，小小的住宅區裏都是戰前的舊式組屋，空氣裏彌散著一種悠閑的味道，偶爾會看到有人走過，但多數時候看到的只是趴在墻角的懶洋洋的貓。
一個地方的氣質跟歷史的厚度有關。
中峇魯發展於1936年，是英殖民政府在新加坡興建的第一批公共住屋，經歷了戰火，仍然完整地保存下來。2003年，政府宣佈中峇魯為保留區，它與眾不同的建築外觀，它的一磚一瓦，將永久成為我們歷史遺產的一部分。
中峇魯是繁忙市區的一片清涼之地，空氣彌散著一種悠閑的味道。
看到、聽到、嗅到生活
老區的房子，連一樓都住滿了一戶戶的人家，黃昏時分從他們的門前走過，生活，可以看到、聽到、嗅到。中峇魯從很久以前就是一個令人垂涎的地方，咖啡店、菜館、餐廳、煮炒店，加起來超過15家，鎮中心的巴剎與熟食中心遠近馳名，翻新以後，很不幸的變得格格不入，反而成了區內最煞風景的地方。
螺旋形樓梯是中峇魯戰前祖屋的一大特色
每一條街都是一部人物史
中峇魯一帶都是蜿蜒的小路，轉一個彎就是一道風景。
從中峇魯路轉進忠坡路（Tiong Poh Road），包括英雲街（Eng Hoon Street）、林烈街（Lim Liak Street）、成保路（Seng Poh Road）、成保巷（Seng Poh Lane）、永發街（Eng Watt Street）、齊賢街（Chay Yan Street）、永錫街（Yong Siak Street）、茂源臺（Moh Guan Terrace）、源全街（Guan Chuan Street）、有進街（Eu Chin Street）、金榜路（Kim Pong Road），都構成中峇魯的命脈。
根據《南洋年鑒》和《南洋歷史》記載，這些路名都是為紀念19世紀華社名人而取的。如金榜路是為紀念大慈善家劉金榜，有進街是為紀念義安公司的主要創始人佘有進，忠坡路是為紀念福建籍富商邱忠坡，齊賢街則是紀念陳篤生的孫子陳齊賢。他是新馬橡膠業的開路先鋒，最早把樹膠作為園丘式經營。每一條街都是一部人物史。
在中峇魯，還有百年老廟、古早的咖啡店、50年不變的雜貨店和當鋪、傷痕纍纍的防空壕，以及郁達夫在《星洲日報》擔任副刊編輯時，曾經住過的房子。
今年底，中峇魯第53和第54座組屋將改建成酒店，屆時，可以想見，這個老區將有另一番風景。
吳玉桂是齊天宮的顧問，也是中峇魯的“地方領袖”，是中峇魯的活字典
找到中峇魯的“字典”
寫中峇魯的故事，最大收穫是認識了吳玉桂老先生。吳玉桂肖猴，今年76歲，是齊天宮的顧問，廟裏理事說：“他是第一百零一個老中峇魯，其他的搬的搬、走的走（故世），現在只剩他一個了，中峇魯的歷史你問他吧，他最清楚。”
吳老先生為人風趣，學養很好，問起我的父母親，都用令尊令堂。他老當益壯，但不認老，開一輛馬賽地轎車，每天還到自己的公司上班。開頭我叫他老伯，他作惱怒狀，於是我趕緊改口叫他大叔。哈哈。
看著一棟棟房子建起來又看著它們拆除
吳大叔在中峇魯出世、長大，父親是齊天宮的乩童，一家人就住在齊天宮樓上。他指著英雲路上的老房子說：“我看著它們一棟棟建起來，現在又看著它們一棟棟的拆除重建。”吳大叔一直住在中峇魯，間中有段時間搬到烏節一帶，不久又搬回老地方，現住在金殿路，跟我算是街坊。大叔是中峇魯的“地方領袖”，擔任中峇魯聯絡所主席有30年之久，現在還是聯絡所的顧問。
他看盡中峇魯的變遷，在情感上，一輩子與中峇魯有著千絲萬縷的關系。他說：“中峇魯以前都是有錢人住的地方，生活起碼要在中等以上才有資格住進來。這裡住了很多文人，也有很多人在這裡包二奶。”
齊天宮斜對面是忠坡路，吳大叔說：“郁達夫當年就住在忠坡路的一個單位。”後來我回報館查資料，發現記載的是第65座組屋三樓24號。大叔還說，中國大畫家劉海粟也住過中峇魯。
訪問第二天早上，約了吳大叔拍照，他知道我想到防空壕看看，慷慨的充當我的車夫，用他的馬賽地把我載到茂源臺。
茂源臺的老房子俗稱五層樓，建成一個馬蹄形，樓房後面是停車場，廢棄已久的防空壕就在樓房後面的底層，面對停車場，大門深鎖，並不是我原先所以為的什麽秘密通道。要不是吳大叔帶路，我恐怕找上一天都找不到。
大叔說，這是英國人設計的老房子，建得銅墻鐵壁，堅硬非常，釘子釘不進，大戰期間炸彈下來，也只是打穿一個小洞，底層拿來做防空壕最合適不過。大叔曾經帶電視臺的攝影隊到裏面拍攝，被蚊子叮得全身又紅又腫，他問：“你想進去嗎？可以跟市鎮會申請，讓他們給你開門。”我想到他的慘痛經歷，當然不敢輕舉妄動。
Here are the links with the same article:
http://cbbs.chinadaily.com.cn/viewthread.php?tid=4221&extra=page%3D34
Wtih "稿件来源：联合早报"
This link have some photos included, yet with some typo errors and irrelevant text added!
http://www.chinabaike.com/article/316/tour/2007/20071024609409.html
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:TuWW_4RtT3oJ:big5.17u.com/blog/article/153971.html+%22tiong+poh+road%22&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=sg&lr=lang_zh-TW
中峇魯，拐個彎就是一道風景
This is Google's cache of http://big5.17u.com/blog/article/153971.html. It is a snapshot of the page as it appeared on 27 Aug 2010 00:05:34 GMT. The current page could have changed in the meantime.
中峇魯，拐個彎就是一道風景
[原創]作者：佳寶 日期：2008-6-12
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:TuWW_4RtT3oJ:big5.17u.com/blog/article/153971.html+%22tiong+poh+road%22&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=sg&lr=lang_zh-TW
中峇魯是繁忙市區的一片清涼之地，空氣彌散著一種悠閑的味道
沒有到過中峇魯，你很難想像繁忙的城市裏還有這麼一片清涼之地。它範圍不大，小小的住宅區裏都是戰前的舊式組屋，空氣裏彌散著一種悠閑的味道，偶爾會看到有人走過，但多數時候看到的只是趴在墻角的懶洋洋的貓。
一個地方的氣質跟歷史的厚度有關。
中峇魯發展於1936年，是英殖民政府在新加坡興建的第一批公共住屋，經歷了戰火，仍然完整地保存下來。2003年，政府宣佈中峇魯為保留區，它與眾不同的建築外觀，它的一磚一瓦，將永久成為我們歷史遺產的一部分。
中峇魯是繁忙市區的一片清涼之地，空氣彌散著一種悠閑的味道。
看到、聽到、嗅到生活
老區的房子，連一樓都住滿了一戶戶的人家，黃昏時分從他們的門前走過，生活，可以看到、聽到、嗅到。中峇魯從很久以前就是一個令人垂涎的地方，咖啡店、菜館、餐廳、煮炒店，加起來超過15家，鎮中心的巴剎與熟食中心遠近馳名，翻新以後，很不幸的變得格格不入，反而成了區內最煞風景的地方。
螺旋形樓梯是中峇魯戰前祖屋的一大特色
每一條街都是一部人物史
中峇魯一帶都是蜿蜒的小路，轉一個彎就是一道風景。
從中峇魯路轉進忠坡路（Tiong Poh Road），包括英雲街（Eng Hoon Street）、林烈街（Lim Liak Street）、成保路（Seng Poh Road）、成保巷（Seng Poh Lane）、永發街（Eng Watt Street）、齊賢街（Chay Yan Street）、永錫街（Yong Siak Street）、茂源臺（Moh Guan Terrace）、源全街（Guan Chuan Street）、有進街（Eu Chin Street）、金榜路（Kim Pong Road），都構成中峇魯的命脈。
根據《南洋年鑒》和《南洋歷史》記載，這些路名都是為紀念19世紀華社名人而取的。如金榜路是為紀念大慈善家劉金榜，有進街是為紀念義安公司的主要創始人佘有進，忠坡路是為紀念福建籍富商邱忠坡，齊賢街則是紀念陳篤生的孫子陳齊賢。他是新馬橡膠業的開路先鋒，最早把樹膠作為園丘式經營。每一條街都是一部人物史。
在中峇魯，還有百年老廟、古早的咖啡店、50年不變的雜貨店和當鋪、傷痕纍纍的防空壕，以及郁達夫在《星洲日報》擔任副刊編輯時，曾經住過的房子。
今年底，中峇魯第53和第54座組屋將改建成酒店，屆時，可以想見，這個老區將有另一番風景。
吳玉桂是齊天宮的顧問，也是中峇魯的“地方領袖”，是中峇魯的活字典
找到中峇魯的“字典”
寫中峇魯的故事，最大收穫是認識了吳玉桂老先生。吳玉桂肖猴，今年76歲，是齊天宮的顧問，廟裏理事說：“他是第一百零一個老中峇魯，其他的搬的搬、走的走（故世），現在只剩他一個了，中峇魯的歷史你問他吧，他最清楚。”
吳老先生為人風趣，學養很好，問起我的父母親，都用令尊令堂。他老當益壯，但不認老，開一輛馬賽地轎車，每天還到自己的公司上班。開頭我叫他老伯，他作惱怒狀，於是我趕緊改口叫他大叔。哈哈。
看著一棟棟房子建起來又看著它們拆除
吳大叔在中峇魯出世、長大，父親是齊天宮的乩童，一家人就住在齊天宮樓上。他指著英雲路上的老房子說：“我看著它們一棟棟建起來，現在又看著它們一棟棟的拆除重建。”吳大叔一直住在中峇魯，間中有段時間搬到烏節一帶，不久又搬回老地方，現住在金殿路，跟我算是街坊。大叔是中峇魯的“地方領袖”，擔任中峇魯聯絡所主席有30年之久，現在還是聯絡所的顧問。
他看盡中峇魯的變遷，在情感上，一輩子與中峇魯有著千絲萬縷的關系。他說：“中峇魯以前都是有錢人住的地方，生活起碼要在中等以上才有資格住進來。這裡住了很多文人，也有很多人在這裡包二奶。”
齊天宮斜對面是忠坡路，吳大叔說：“郁達夫當年就住在忠坡路的一個單位。”後來我回報館查資料，發現記載的是第65座組屋三樓24號。大叔還說，中國大畫家劉海粟也住過中峇魯。
訪問第二天早上，約了吳大叔拍照，他知道我想到防空壕看看，慷慨的充當我的車夫，用他的馬賽地把我載到茂源臺。
茂源臺的老房子俗稱五層樓，建成一個馬蹄形，樓房後面是停車場，廢棄已久的防空壕就在樓房後面的底層，面對停車場，大門深鎖，並不是我原先所以為的什麽秘密通道。要不是吳大叔帶路，我恐怕找上一天都找不到。
大叔說，這是英國人設計的老房子，建得銅墻鐵壁，堅硬非常，釘子釘不進，大戰期間炸彈下來，也只是打穿一個小洞，底層拿來做防空壕最合適不過。大叔曾經帶電視臺的攝影隊到裏面拍攝，被蚊子叮得全身又紅又腫，他問：“你想進去嗎？可以跟市鎮會申請，讓他們給你開門。”我想到他的慘痛經歷，當然不敢輕舉妄動。
Here are the links with the same article:
http://cbbs.chinadaily.com.cn/viewthread.php?tid=4221&extra=page%3D34
Wtih "稿件来源：联合早报"
This link have some photos included, yet with some typo errors and irrelevant text added!
http://www.chinabaike.com/article/316/tour/2007/20071024609409.html
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Fort Canning Park with LAS members
Just went for a heritage guided walk of Fort Canning Park, conducted by NParks board, on 17 Sep 2010, Friday (3 pm – 5.30 pm).
This guided walk is organised by LAS (Library Association of Singapore) and our guide is Ms Lee Wei Ling from National Park. (Ms Lee is in her Twenty, and her full name is the same as the daughter of Mr Lee Kuan Yew. She said it makes her and her name hard to forget for most Singaporean.)
We are pleased to have a nice and cold walk in the afternoon as the heavy rain in the morning wash the heat away. We are so fortunate to have a good day for this outdoor activity.
We enjoyed hearing many good tips on plants, some legends and interest story about Fort Canning from Ms Lee. Ms Lee was surprised to note that what she thought as something uncommon or not easy to guess are well answered by the group members. I think the Fort Canning is the Library of plants and LAS have a lot of good Librarians who love and know plants very well.
I enjoyed the afternoon walk with a group of knowledgeable Librarians.
As the walk were limited to 30 participants, and on a first-come, first-served basis, I am glad that I had signed up on 18 Aug and get myself registered!
About the walk
It is a leisurely stroll back into time to rediscover Fort Canning and its rich heritage within this verdant oasis in the heart of the city.
"Standing serenely amidst the bustling sprawl of the city, Fort Canning Park has plenty to be discovered and much to behold."
The walk let us find out about the many historical layers of this hill which is irrefutably intertwined with the history of Singapore.
Being an old resident of Tan Tye Alley (A small lane no longer existed in Singapore street directory after mid 1970), the hill is my childhood play ground and it is nice to revisit it once in a while.
Tan Tye Alley which was a small lane adjacent to Tan Tye Place, it was just opposite Fort Canning Hill. During my childhood time, our family was a tenant living on the third story of a unit (The address was 4A, Tan Tye Alley).
We used to enjoy watching fireworks showering down in front of us when we lay down to watch the show at our small open air roof-top balcony cum garden after dinner. No firework can be watched as close and look as beautiful when I compare it with what was imprinted in my memory!
Tan Tye Alley (Some 3 storey units with the address No. 2, 4, 6, 8, etc and a big Ware House) is now part of Liang Court (Chinese: 亮阁) at Clarke Quay, near Singapore River.
When our family members visited Liang Court the first few times, we always felt that we are visiting our old home and like to guess which shop is at our old home location!
Now back the the walk! Guided by Ms Lee, we climbed the hill and visited some other interesting sites:
Whether it is botanical or historical, learning about our heritage is not possible through just a walk in the park, yet, it is a good starting point for some and good revision for me today!
What to take note if you plan to walk on your own in future:
Meeting point for the group: Courtyard opposite NParks Visitor Centre, Fort Canning Centre
Nearest MRT: Dhoby Ghaut or City Hall
Nearest carpark: carpark B off Percival Road
Professional Development Scheme (PDS) Points
Eligible for PDS Points:
This activity attracts 26 points under Category C – Personal Development. " Participate in any self-development or productivity course not directly related to library and information work (half day) “ 2. Reference: See para 4.6 of the PDS Guide [:http://www.las.org.sg/PDS-Guide-2008-LAS.mht ]
Source of information: Email from Programmes & Social Committee Dated 18 Aug 2010
This guided walk is organised by LAS (Library Association of Singapore) and our guide is Ms Lee Wei Ling from National Park. (Ms Lee is in her Twenty, and her full name is the same as the daughter of Mr Lee Kuan Yew. She said it makes her and her name hard to forget for most Singaporean.)
We are pleased to have a nice and cold walk in the afternoon as the heavy rain in the morning wash the heat away. We are so fortunate to have a good day for this outdoor activity.
We enjoyed hearing many good tips on plants, some legends and interest story about Fort Canning from Ms Lee. Ms Lee was surprised to note that what she thought as something uncommon or not easy to guess are well answered by the group members. I think the Fort Canning is the Library of plants and LAS have a lot of good Librarians who love and know plants very well.
I enjoyed the afternoon walk with a group of knowledgeable Librarians.
As the walk were limited to 30 participants, and on a first-come, first-served basis, I am glad that I had signed up on 18 Aug and get myself registered!
About the walk
It is a leisurely stroll back into time to rediscover Fort Canning and its rich heritage within this verdant oasis in the heart of the city.
"Standing serenely amidst the bustling sprawl of the city, Fort Canning Park has plenty to be discovered and much to behold."
The walk let us find out about the many historical layers of this hill which is irrefutably intertwined with the history of Singapore.
Being an old resident of Tan Tye Alley (A small lane no longer existed in Singapore street directory after mid 1970), the hill is my childhood play ground and it is nice to revisit it once in a while.
Tan Tye Alley which was a small lane adjacent to Tan Tye Place, it was just opposite Fort Canning Hill. During my childhood time, our family was a tenant living on the third story of a unit (The address was 4A, Tan Tye Alley).
We used to enjoy watching fireworks showering down in front of us when we lay down to watch the show at our small open air roof-top balcony cum garden after dinner. No firework can be watched as close and look as beautiful when I compare it with what was imprinted in my memory!
Tan Tye Alley (Some 3 storey units with the address No. 2, 4, 6, 8, etc and a big Ware House) is now part of Liang Court (Chinese: 亮阁) at Clarke Quay, near Singapore River.
When our family members visited Liang Court the first few times, we always felt that we are visiting our old home and like to guess which shop is at our old home location!
Now back the the walk! Guided by Ms Lee, we climbed the hill and visited some other interesting sites:
- Fort Gate and the nearby sites: Once the seat of Malay royalty in the 14th century and home to colonial governors in the 19th, it became a military base during the Second World War. Today, a display of ancient relics dating back to the 14th century as well as the Fort Gate, remnant of the fortress built in the 1860s, are reminders of Singapore’s rich past.
- Spice Garden: Explored the world of spices which was part of the original tract of Singapore's first botanical and experimental garden, we learn about the importance of spice back then as well as how it has integrated into our lives today.
Whether it is botanical or historical, learning about our heritage is not possible through just a walk in the park, yet, it is a good starting point for some and good revision for me today!
What to take note if you plan to walk on your own in future:
- Walk is moderately easy but will involve walking up slopes and steps so do come dressed comfortably. Sport shoes is the best!
- It is also good to bring along a bottle of drinking water, hat/cap/umbrella/poncho, sun glasses and sunblock!
- Apply insect repellent if you are likely to attract them.
Meeting point for the group: Courtyard opposite NParks Visitor Centre, Fort Canning Centre
Nearest MRT: Dhoby Ghaut or City Hall
Nearest carpark: carpark B off Percival Road
Professional Development Scheme (PDS) Points
Eligible for PDS Points:
This activity attracts 26 points under Category C – Personal Development. " Participate in any self-development or productivity course not directly related to library and information work (half day) “ 2. Reference: See para 4.6 of the PDS Guide [:http://www.las.org.sg/PDS-Guide-2008-LAS.mht ]
Source of information: Email from Programmes & Social Committee Dated 18 Aug 2010
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Book as a gift
When you give someone a book, you don't give him just paper, ink, and glue. You give him the possibility of a whole new life.
-- Christopher Morley (1890-1957)
I like to give book as birthday gift for nieces and newphews, I hope it benefits them like what Christopher Morley said in the above quote!
Dexterine Ho
-- Christopher Morley (1890-1957)
I like to give book as birthday gift for nieces and newphews, I hope it benefits them like what Christopher Morley said in the above quote!
Dexterine Ho
Friday, September 17, 2010
Simon Calder's 48 Hours in Singapore
Simon Calder, an Independent Traveller spends two eventful days in Singapore and experienced the diverse and welcoming city!
For those who are planning to have a short visit of Singapore, even if you only have 48 hours, you still can bring back great memory of Singapore.
As a Singaporean, I find the New Majestic Hotel interesting !
I like the interial deco of New Majestic Hotel (http://www.newmajestichotel.com/) and it would be interesting to experience the pool one day!
Cheers!
Dexterine Ho
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Leadership
Leadership is no longer about your position.
It's now more about your passion for excellence and making a difference.
You can lead without a title.
-- Robin Sharma
It's now more about your passion for excellence and making a difference.
You can lead without a title.
-- Robin Sharma
Friday, September 10, 2010
Reason vs emotion
The sign of intelligent people is their ability to control emotions by the application of reason.
-- Marya Mannes (1904-1990) American Journalist
-- Marya Mannes (1904-1990) American Journalist
Sunday, September 05, 2010
Happiness
Man is happy only as he finds work worth doing --
and does it well.
-- E. Merrill Root (1895-1973) American Writer
and does it well.
-- E. Merrill Root (1895-1973) American Writer
Thursday, September 02, 2010
The Library of Congress (http://www.loc.gov/index.html) in Washington D.C. has over 33 million books and 12 million photographs, millions of maps, sheet music, and other manuscripts.
Its holdings make it largest library in the western world; and having been founded in 1800, it is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country.
Source of information:
The World Almanac 2010, original source
The Refdesk 2 Sept 2010, indirect reference source
The Library of Congress (http://www.loc.gov/index.html)
Its holdings make it largest library in the western world; and having been founded in 1800, it is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country.
Source of information:
The World Almanac 2010, original source
The Refdesk 2 Sept 2010, indirect reference source
The Library of Congress (http://www.loc.gov/index.html)
Wednesday, September 01, 2010
Teaching with the Internet
If you need to use Internet for teaching, "GERSH'S GUIDE FOR EDUCATORS: TEACHING WITH THE INTERNET" created by Dr. Sheila O. Gersh, City College of NY - Center for School Development may be a good site for your reference and here is the link:
http://www.schoollink.org/twin/
In the list, the following are compiled and you can just click your way to some good Internet resources like:
CultureQuest, ScienceQuest, Child Safe E-mail
Acrobat Reader Real Audio/Video, Skype
Projects ProjectWorksheets, Citationmachine
NYS Learning & Teaching, Internet Curriculum ResourcesELEM sites
Sites for young children, Refdesk, Participating in Projects Virtual Architecture
Post It Add It Conference Presentations For Administrators, CyberGuides video conf. with Japan
Tech Tips (videos), Interesting Sites, NYS Standards
Literacy Sites, Internet Basics, Subject Matter Links
Science News, Make Your Own Rubrics, Hints for Creating Rubrics WebQuests
WebQuest Resources, Graphic Organizers
Evaluating Web Sites, ESL Sites , Best WebQuests
Searching on the Internet, Searching strategies, More Searching Tips
Lesson Plans, Project Based Learning
Searching HANDOUT, Searching with Google Schoolnotes,
Blackboard Portfolios, Personal Portfolios, Multimedia resources
Learn to Keyboard
And many more...
http://www.schoollink.org/twin/
In the list, the following are compiled and you can just click your way to some good Internet resources like:
CultureQuest, ScienceQuest, Child Safe E-mail
Acrobat Reader Real Audio/Video, Skype
Projects ProjectWorksheets, Citationmachine
NYS Learning & Teaching, Internet Curriculum ResourcesELEM sites
Sites for young children, Refdesk, Participating in Projects Virtual Architecture
Post It Add It Conference Presentations For Administrators, CyberGuides video conf. with Japan
Tech Tips (videos), Interesting Sites, NYS Standards
Literacy Sites, Internet Basics, Subject Matter Links
Science News, Make Your Own Rubrics, Hints for Creating Rubrics WebQuests
WebQuest Resources, Graphic Organizers
Evaluating Web Sites, ESL Sites , Best WebQuests
Searching on the Internet, Searching strategies, More Searching Tips
Lesson Plans, Project Based Learning
Searching HANDOUT, Searching with Google Schoolnotes,
Blackboard Portfolios, Personal Portfolios, Multimedia resources
Learn to Keyboard
And many more...
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Everything starts with just a thought
Thought manifests as word.
Word manifests as deed.
Deed develops into habit.
And habit hardens into character.
So watch the thought and its ways with care.
And let it spring from loveBorn out of concern for all beings.
-- The Buddha (563?-483? B.C.E.)Siddhartha Gautama
Word manifests as deed.
Deed develops into habit.
And habit hardens into character.
So watch the thought and its ways with care.
And let it spring from loveBorn out of concern for all beings.
-- The Buddha (563?-483? B.C.E.)Siddhartha Gautama
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Travel light
If you wish to travel far and fast, travel light. Take off all your envies, jealousies, unforgiveness, selfishness, and fears.
-- Glenn Clark
It is great to read something like that today as it is very meaningful to realise why I can have a different world of experience when I reflect it in retrospect.
Travel light physically and mentally!
Even with motion sickness on plane, in car and ship, I find ways to many places with friends who enjoy visiting and experiencing the life of different places together.
I think we are able to travel light physically and emotionally!
Having very light luggages ease the physical journey and with light emotional baggages make the choice of tour mate an easy task!
Cheers!
Dexterine Ho
-- Glenn Clark
It is great to read something like that today as it is very meaningful to realise why I can have a different world of experience when I reflect it in retrospect.
Travel light physically and mentally!
Even with motion sickness on plane, in car and ship, I find ways to many places with friends who enjoy visiting and experiencing the life of different places together.
I think we are able to travel light physically and emotionally!
Having very light luggages ease the physical journey and with light emotional baggages make the choice of tour mate an easy task!
Cheers!
Dexterine Ho
Thursday, August 26, 2010
一個“放”字
Just received the followings today from a friend:
千般哲理, 一個“放”字
有一種養心方法叫“放下”。
擅樂者希聲，養心者留空。
何時放下，何時就會獲得一身輕鬆。
有一種處事方法叫“放棄”,
放棄無法擁有的，
重要的是放棄之後就不要悔恨。
獲得幸福的不二法則是珍惜所擁有的。
有一種辦事方法叫“放置”。
放置不是閑置，
今天無頭緒可能明天有條理，
因為事緩則圓，事緩就有變。
有一種管理方法叫“放手”。
管理不是緊緊抓住不放，
更非事必躬親，
而是有條有理地調動大家的積極性，
捆住了手腳當然就無活力而言。
有一種思考方法叫“放飛”。
放飛思緒才會天馬行空。
創造源於想象，想象力遠比知識重要。
有一種表達方法叫“放聲”。
若不影響他人，不妨放開喉嚨，
壓抑是致病的罪魁。
需要注意的是，放聲之後應知道何時收聲。
有一種觀察方法叫“放眼”。
能放眼時應放眼，放眼之處皆風景。
目力所及可見銀河星瀚、
高山流水、雲卷雲舒，遠比眼前風景好看得多。
一個“放”字，千般哲理。
運用得好，就會使復雜的生活回歸簡單，
紛亂的思緒回歸明晰，浮躁的心境回歸淡然。
“放”作為生存之態，是化繁後的睿智，
是畫龍後的點睛，是深刻後的平和。
梭羅說：“一個人越是有許多事能夠放得下，
他就越是富有。”
“提得起”常被人稱道，
“放得下”則更令人贊嘆。
Source of original information: Unknown
千般哲理, 一個“放”字
有一種養心方法叫“放下”。
擅樂者希聲，養心者留空。
何時放下，何時就會獲得一身輕鬆。
有一種處事方法叫“放棄”,
放棄無法擁有的，
重要的是放棄之後就不要悔恨。
獲得幸福的不二法則是珍惜所擁有的。
有一種辦事方法叫“放置”。
放置不是閑置，
今天無頭緒可能明天有條理，
因為事緩則圓，事緩就有變。
有一種管理方法叫“放手”。
管理不是緊緊抓住不放，
更非事必躬親，
而是有條有理地調動大家的積極性，
捆住了手腳當然就無活力而言。
有一種思考方法叫“放飛”。
放飛思緒才會天馬行空。
創造源於想象，想象力遠比知識重要。
有一種表達方法叫“放聲”。
若不影響他人，不妨放開喉嚨，
壓抑是致病的罪魁。
需要注意的是，放聲之後應知道何時收聲。
有一種觀察方法叫“放眼”。
能放眼時應放眼，放眼之處皆風景。
目力所及可見銀河星瀚、
高山流水、雲卷雲舒，遠比眼前風景好看得多。
一個“放”字，千般哲理。
運用得好，就會使復雜的生活回歸簡單，
紛亂的思緒回歸明晰，浮躁的心境回歸淡然。
“放”作為生存之態，是化繁後的睿智，
是畫龍後的點睛，是深刻後的平和。
梭羅說：“一個人越是有許多事能夠放得下，
他就越是富有。”
“提得起”常被人稱道，
“放得下”則更令人贊嘆。
Source of original information: Unknown
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Attachment
I like these quotations someone sent me:
"The worst in life is "ATTACHMENT", it hurts when you lost something!"
"The best thing in life is " LONELINESS", because it teaches you everything and when you lose it, you get everything!"
"The worst in life is "ATTACHMENT", it hurts when you lost something!"
"The best thing in life is " LONELINESS", because it teaches you everything and when you lose it, you get everything!"
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Creation of something
It is wonderful to be in on the creation of something, see it used, and then walk away and smile at it.
-- Lady Bird Johnson (1912- ) American First Lady
It is a joyful journey when I travelled the path of creating something I like and have a smiling day after doing it!
I enjoy the mode of doing something creative and innovative. It can be just as simple as cutting something out from paper, planting something green and beautiful in the garden, or just doing some arrangement and re-arrangement of artifacts around me etc...
Creating something just take a few minutes or less than an hour, yet the joys of looking at it last for the whole days or, some time, years!
It is a good way of trading time for something that please your and other's heart that is everlasting!
Dexterine Ho
-- Lady Bird Johnson (1912- ) American First Lady
It is a joyful journey when I travelled the path of creating something I like and have a smiling day after doing it!
I enjoy the mode of doing something creative and innovative. It can be just as simple as cutting something out from paper, planting something green and beautiful in the garden, or just doing some arrangement and re-arrangement of artifacts around me etc...
Creating something just take a few minutes or less than an hour, yet the joys of looking at it last for the whole days or, some time, years!
It is a good way of trading time for something that please your and other's heart that is everlasting!
Dexterine Ho
Saturday, August 07, 2010
Singapore - Crossroads of the East 1938
A tour of the British colony of Singapore in 1938. Footage from this film is available for licensing from http://www.globalimageworks.com
I can identify some of the scenes taken in Singapore River then as the River in the late 1950s and 1960s when I am a child was like that in my memory, especially the sights of Chinese workers (Ku Li) walking on planks with loads of goods on their shoulders brought back many fond memories of my childhood living near boat quay (Tan Thye Alley)
My father came to Singapore in the 1940s, if he is still around, this film will bring back some of his fond memories:
Singapore in 1938:
- the Gibraltar of the East!
- the cheapest shopping centre in the whole world!
- with modern buildings and large boulevards!
- thriving harbour!
- a lively city with lively people!
- religious freedom and harmony!
When I heard this in the movie, it is like what is like reading printed text in the geography text book in school in the late 1960s. Yet is was the achievement 30 years before Singapore's Independence.
We were told that Singapore was a poor city and it is very enlightening to see 1938 with all the modern facilities already in place!
I really enjoy this movie as it made me understand the way Singapore is today are the toils and hard work of our ancestors.
During that period of time, the whites are the ones who enjoy themselves while our ancestors toil.
Now some of us are engaging foreign maid and doing the same like the white did in the past.
The population in 1938 was only 500,000. Our ancestors were immigrants then and now in 2010, the population is 5,000,000+ and many of our maids and workers etc are immigrants.
If history can help us reflects and projects into the future, it will tell us whatever we have at present will not be permanent! Things will change and evolve from time to time.
The future of our Singapore is for all of us to create!
Whoever toils and hard work, like our ancestor may harvest the fruits of their labour, if not within their generation, it will in their next generation.
What will Singapore be in 2050 and who are the Singaporean then?
I can identify some of the scenes taken in Singapore River then as the River in the late 1950s and 1960s when I am a child was like that in my memory, especially the sights of Chinese workers (Ku Li) walking on planks with loads of goods on their shoulders brought back many fond memories of my childhood living near boat quay (Tan Thye Alley)
My father came to Singapore in the 1940s, if he is still around, this film will bring back some of his fond memories:
Singapore in 1938:
- the Gibraltar of the East!
- the cheapest shopping centre in the whole world!
- with modern buildings and large boulevards!
- thriving harbour!
- a lively city with lively people!
- religious freedom and harmony!
When I heard this in the movie, it is like what is like reading printed text in the geography text book in school in the late 1960s. Yet is was the achievement 30 years before Singapore's Independence.
We were told that Singapore was a poor city and it is very enlightening to see 1938 with all the modern facilities already in place!
I really enjoy this movie as it made me understand the way Singapore is today are the toils and hard work of our ancestors.
During that period of time, the whites are the ones who enjoy themselves while our ancestors toil.
Now some of us are engaging foreign maid and doing the same like the white did in the past.
The population in 1938 was only 500,000. Our ancestors were immigrants then and now in 2010, the population is 5,000,000+ and many of our maids and workers etc are immigrants.
If history can help us reflects and projects into the future, it will tell us whatever we have at present will not be permanent! Things will change and evolve from time to time.
The future of our Singapore is for all of us to create!
Whoever toils and hard work, like our ancestor may harvest the fruits of their labour, if not within their generation, it will in their next generation.
What will Singapore be in 2050 and who are the Singaporean then?
Friday, August 06, 2010
Thursday, August 05, 2010
With whom you are going to spend most of your waking hours
The people with whom you work reflect your own attitude. If you are
suspicious, unfriendly and condescending, you will find these unlovely traits echoed all about you.
But if you are on your best behavior, you will bring out the best in the persons with whom you are going to spend most of your waking hours.
-- Beatrice Vincent
For those who are in working world for years, you will have enough experience that boss attracts only like-minded subordinates.
If you do not like to be re-format by your boss and you cannot change your boss's ways of doing thing, the only way out is to ask for transfer or post yourself out.
There are lot of rooms for exploration if you try another way of living your working world. We are not obliged to work for one organisation or one boss for life.
If we like the way the organisation run and identify our dream with their mission and vision, we stay longer and become a loyal staff.
If we entered to a work place with disillusion and misconception, and after a while your realised that it is not a place for you as it is not healthy for your body, mind and soul, you will know that it is time to say "I had tried and I understand I can be better elsewhere" and you moved on ...
Work is just a place for your mind and soul to explore the potential it may extend.
If your mind, body and soul is at a stand still or degrading and you have to create a new place and made new room for the body, mind and soul to breath freely and healthily, you will make the choice, however costly it is.
Dollars and cents will not make much sense at this juncture, as it is the value in the decision you make that benefit the rest of your life.
The cash that you chase and trash yourself in at work day and night, may ruin your mind, body and soul!
If you choice the way you work, you will have the like-minded with you and you will never be alone!
Dexterine Ho
suspicious, unfriendly and condescending, you will find these unlovely traits echoed all about you.
But if you are on your best behavior, you will bring out the best in the persons with whom you are going to spend most of your waking hours.
-- Beatrice Vincent
For those who are in working world for years, you will have enough experience that boss attracts only like-minded subordinates.
If you do not like to be re-format by your boss and you cannot change your boss's ways of doing thing, the only way out is to ask for transfer or post yourself out.
There are lot of rooms for exploration if you try another way of living your working world. We are not obliged to work for one organisation or one boss for life.
If we like the way the organisation run and identify our dream with their mission and vision, we stay longer and become a loyal staff.
If we entered to a work place with disillusion and misconception, and after a while your realised that it is not a place for you as it is not healthy for your body, mind and soul, you will know that it is time to say "I had tried and I understand I can be better elsewhere" and you moved on ...
Work is just a place for your mind and soul to explore the potential it may extend.
If your mind, body and soul is at a stand still or degrading and you have to create a new place and made new room for the body, mind and soul to breath freely and healthily, you will make the choice, however costly it is.
Dollars and cents will not make much sense at this juncture, as it is the value in the decision you make that benefit the rest of your life.
The cash that you chase and trash yourself in at work day and night, may ruin your mind, body and soul!
If you choice the way you work, you will have the like-minded with you and you will never be alone!
Dexterine Ho
Tuesday, August 03, 2010
Singapore - The Lion City, 1957
A visit to Singapore in 1957. To license footage from this film, visit www.travelfilmarchive.com
I was filmed in 1957 and I was too young to have any impression of Singapore at that time!
"Singapore was once so pretty!" I can see that places and things changed so much within 50 years if you compare the places of interest THEN and now.
I was filmed in 1957 and I was too young to have any impression of Singapore at that time!
"Singapore was once so pretty!" I can see that places and things changed so much within 50 years if you compare the places of interest THEN and now.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
On making the right decision
In addition to self-awareness, imagination and conscience, it is the fourth human endowment-independent will-that really makes effective self-management possible.
It is the ability to make decisions and choices and to act in accordance with them. It is the ability to act rather than to be acted upon, to proactively carry out the program we have developed through the other three endowments.
Empowerment comes from learning how to use this great endowment in the decisions we make every day.
-- Stephen Covey
Of all the abilities that one has, decision making is most crucial in one's life journey!
In my personal journey, I would like to exercise self-awareness, imagination and guard against my own conscience, with that, I have made a decision lately:
I would rather "Live in a world with "Vision", and not "Blinding" myself with work!"
With the loads of work I have for over 30 years in the library and teaching world (labour of love, most of the time), I have the awareness lately that my I had overloaded my eyes too much which cause retinal tear of my left eye.
Born with the mind set of wanting to explore creative way of doing things, I may had exhausted my eyes with all the visual treats I received or created in my personal and work life. Now, I have come to a decision that even the work is valuable and meaningful, it will not be "visible" to me if I am unable to view it in the future. Hence, what I am doing is doing more harm than good for my "Vision". To do or not to do, a painful decision is now made with ease!
If you do not have any problem with your eyes and vision, it is hard for anyone to make a decision not to overwork as all the work now required overtime and over strain of eyes.
If you are in the situation that your eye is so painful, dye, and need lubrication every 1-2 hours, even the decision is made, it is already too late for the good for the rest of your life!
Nevertheless, it is better late than never!
Dexterine Ho
It is the ability to make decisions and choices and to act in accordance with them. It is the ability to act rather than to be acted upon, to proactively carry out the program we have developed through the other three endowments.
Empowerment comes from learning how to use this great endowment in the decisions we make every day.
-- Stephen Covey
Of all the abilities that one has, decision making is most crucial in one's life journey!
In my personal journey, I would like to exercise self-awareness, imagination and guard against my own conscience, with that, I have made a decision lately:
I would rather "Live in a world with "Vision", and not "Blinding" myself with work!"
With the loads of work I have for over 30 years in the library and teaching world (labour of love, most of the time), I have the awareness lately that my I had overloaded my eyes too much which cause retinal tear of my left eye.
Born with the mind set of wanting to explore creative way of doing things, I may had exhausted my eyes with all the visual treats I received or created in my personal and work life. Now, I have come to a decision that even the work is valuable and meaningful, it will not be "visible" to me if I am unable to view it in the future. Hence, what I am doing is doing more harm than good for my "Vision". To do or not to do, a painful decision is now made with ease!
If you do not have any problem with your eyes and vision, it is hard for anyone to make a decision not to overwork as all the work now required overtime and over strain of eyes.
If you are in the situation that your eye is so painful, dye, and need lubrication every 1-2 hours, even the decision is made, it is already too late for the good for the rest of your life!
Nevertheless, it is better late than never!
Dexterine Ho
Sunday, July 25, 2010
任何事情都会过去的
Here is what I just received from a friend:
＝＝＝＝＝
没有任何事情是不会过去的
****
不顺心是必然的，顺境不是境界如自己的愿，
而是顺应境界而进退取捨。
当任性时立即有不顺心的烦恼。
人事如海滩不可胜数的沙子，一个人寡不敌众，一个境界
怎能满足千变的心呢？
其实没有任何事情是不会过去的，没有人是
不会改变的。
不顺心也是一时的心情。
****
施比受更有福。
人生无常，把握《当下》！
＝＝＝＝＝
＝＝＝＝＝
没有任何事情是不会过去的
****
不顺心是必然的，顺境不是境界如自己的愿，
而是顺应境界而进退取捨。
当任性时立即有不顺心的烦恼。
人事如海滩不可胜数的沙子，一个人寡不敌众，一个境界
怎能满足千变的心呢？
其实没有任何事情是不会过去的，没有人是
不会改变的。
不顺心也是一时的心情。
****
施比受更有福。
人生无常，把握《当下》！
＝＝＝＝＝
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Dexterine's life journey with LAS (Library Association of Singapore): Part 1 of 5
Here is something I wrote and forwarded to Nurul at NLB (Nurulhuda_SUBAHAN@nlb.gov.sg) as a Volunteer Memory Agent after attending a Saturday morning "Singapore Memory workshop" in June at NLB!
If you like to join the Group, email to Nurul (Nurulhuda_SUBAHAN@nlb.gov.sg) and she will send you an invitation to join the Yahoo Group.
Cheers!
Dexterine Ho
===
Dear Nurul,
I wanted to write more, yet time is not with me now!
Here is something simple and easy for me to start with:
TITLE
====================================
Dexterine's life journey with LAS (Library Association of Singapore)
====================================
If you are a librarian, you would know what LAS stands for: Library Association of Singapore.
If you are not working in the library and information field, LAS may not be anything significant in your life journey. You may just skip this article.
For those who are still reading, please note that unless you would like to know more about library professionals and their links with their professional organisation, you may find the article irrelavant to your experience of memory in Singapore.
*****************
History of LAS
*****************
"The LAS traced its history to the days when Malaysia and Singapore were not independent yet. In the 1950s, Singapore was a British colony, and Malaysia, then known as the Federation of Malaya, was a British protectorate. At that time, libraries and librarians in the two territories were far and few. Only a handful of government research libraries and a few subscription libraries existed, the latter, as Jean Waller had described, "masquerading'' as public libraries."
(Source of information: Library Association of Singapore: About us http://www.las.org.sg/about_us.htm)
If you are keen to learn more about the history of LAS, just read the webpage cited above.
************************************
Dexterine's life journey with the library world in general and LAS (Library Association of Singapore) in particular
************************************
As this article is about 150 words, if you would though like to take a glimpse into some of my personal experiences of the library world in general and LAS in particular, just read on and visit "Travel down memory lane with Dexterine" at http://dexterine.blogspot.com/ to get more.
You will find out some facts and views about librarians from the my personal perspective, the state of development of librarianship and the professional association through my personal life encounters.
Notes: Since I know very little about the library world and LAS before 1981, I look forward to reading other senior librarians’ write-ups to fill my knowledge gap about the first 25 years of Library world in Singapore and LAS history.
To start, I have the following Q and A for easy narration:
Q: Why did Dexterine become a librarian?
Answer:
Teaching was her first career prospect and librarianship, her second. Since she could not become a teacher in the 1980s, she chose to become a librarian. To her, librarians and teachers are all helping others to share the fruits of knowledge.
End of Part One, to be continued...
If you would though like to have a glimpse into some of her personal experiences of LAS, read "Travel down memory lane with Dexterine" at http://dexterine.blogspot.com/ to get more or wait for Part Two of this post.
Cheers!
Dexterine
=======================
Dexterine Ho Soo Miang
http://dexterine.tripod.com/
http://dexterine.blogspot.com view my other blogs through my profile
email: smho@pmail.ntu.edu.sg
dexterine@yahoo.com
*************************************************************
INNOvative HANDS-ON, INNOvative minds-on
*************************************************************
If you like to join the Group, email to Nurul (Nurulhuda_SUBAHAN@nlb.gov.sg) and she will send you an invitation to join the Yahoo Group.
Cheers!
Dexterine Ho
===
Dear Nurul,
I wanted to write more, yet time is not with me now!
Here is something simple and easy for me to start with:
TITLE
====================================
Dexterine's life journey with LAS (Library Association of Singapore)
====================================
If you are a librarian, you would know what LAS stands for: Library Association of Singapore.
If you are not working in the library and information field, LAS may not be anything significant in your life journey. You may just skip this article.
For those who are still reading, please note that unless you would like to know more about library professionals and their links with their professional organisation, you may find the article irrelavant to your experience of memory in Singapore.
*****************
History of LAS
*****************
"The LAS traced its history to the days when Malaysia and Singapore were not independent yet. In the 1950s, Singapore was a British colony, and Malaysia, then known as the Federation of Malaya, was a British protectorate. At that time, libraries and librarians in the two territories were far and few. Only a handful of government research libraries and a few subscription libraries existed, the latter, as Jean Waller had described, "masquerading'' as public libraries."
(Source of information: Library Association of Singapore: About us http://www.las.org.sg/about_us.htm)
If you are keen to learn more about the history of LAS, just read the webpage cited above.
************************************
Dexterine's life journey with the library world in general and LAS (Library Association of Singapore) in particular
************************************
As this article is about 150 words, if you would though like to take a glimpse into some of my personal experiences of the library world in general and LAS in particular, just read on and visit "Travel down memory lane with Dexterine" at http://dexterine.blogspot.com/ to get more.
You will find out some facts and views about librarians from the my personal perspective, the state of development of librarianship and the professional association through my personal life encounters.
Notes: Since I know very little about the library world and LAS before 1981, I look forward to reading other senior librarians’ write-ups to fill my knowledge gap about the first 25 years of Library world in Singapore and LAS history.
To start, I have the following Q and A for easy narration:
Q: Why did Dexterine become a librarian?
Answer:
Teaching was her first career prospect and librarianship, her second. Since she could not become a teacher in the 1980s, she chose to become a librarian. To her, librarians and teachers are all helping others to share the fruits of knowledge.
End of Part One, to be continued...
If you would though like to have a glimpse into some of her personal experiences of LAS, read "Travel down memory lane with Dexterine" at http://dexterine.blogspot.com/ to get more or wait for Part Two of this post.
Cheers!
Dexterine
=======================
Dexterine Ho Soo Miang
http://dexterine.tripod.com/
http://dexterine.blogspot.com view my other blogs through my profile
email: smho@pmail.ntu.edu.sg
dexterine@yahoo.com
*************************************************************
INNOvative HANDS-ON, INNOvative minds-on
*************************************************************
Friday, July 09, 2010
Myths, Stories, and Possibilities
The Programmes and Social Committee organised a talk by Dr Paul B. Gandel today:
Topic : Myths, Stories, and Possibilities
Date : 9 July 2010, Friday
Time : 3.00pm-5.00pm
Venue : Possibility Room, Level 5, National Library Building
LAS Professional Development Scheme (PDS) Points: 46
(Applicable only to librarians who are participants of PDS)
About the talk
As technology has developed over the past years moving from the Web to Web 2.0 to the Cloud, barriers have dropped and possibilities seem limitless. Our world is becoming ever more interlinked.
This presents both an opportunity and a dilemma for those of us in information services that need to plan for an increasingly technology-enabled future of interconnectedness.
How do you plan for the abundance of possibilities?
How do you plan in the absence of good predictive models?
What is really true about all the technological hype?
What really will change?
What core values and services will remain the same?
Planning for the future may be as much of process of discovery as a planning process. Success will be finding the right ingredients and partners. It also requires a bit of luck!
From the perspective of a former library dean, CIO, and now university professor, Paul Gandel leads a conversation about the challenges and opportunities he sees for this complex and cloudy future.
He illustrates these trends with stories from his own personal experiences: Creating new governance and consortium models in the face of changing technologies; green computing—an example of turning slogans into reality; and building new models of education and services for the information professional of the future.
About the speaker
Paul B. Gandel
Acting CIO, Singapore Management University
Professor of Information Studies, Syracuse University
Paul Gandel is Professor of Information Studies at Syracuse University. His teaching and research areas include the management of information technology systems, information management, leadership, information policy, and the visualization of information. Currently while on leave from Syracuse he is serving as acting CIO and senior consultant for Singapore Management University (SMU). He also is a visiting professor in the School of Information Systems at SMU.
Previously he served as the Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer (CIO) at Syracuse University.
As Chief Information Officer, Gandel was responsible for all aspects of information technology and information services—computer services, voice and data networking, instructional technology services, business process improvement, and distance learning technology.
During his tenure as CIO he was instrumental in modernizing the University’s technology infrastructure and IT support services to ensure that SU remains competitive with the growing demands of providing high-quality information resources for research, teaching and student learning environments.
Before coming to Syracuse University, Gandel was Vice Provost and Dean of Libraries at University of Rhode Island.
Before Rhode Island, Gandel was Associate Provost and Chief Information Officer at the Ohio University, Senior Director of Academic Computing and Associate Professor of Library Science at the University of North Texas, Supervisor of the Computing Technology Group at Bell Laboratories, Head of Media Services at the State University of New York at Plattsburgh, and Director of the Research Library at the Visual Studies Workshop in Rochester, New York.
Dr. Gandel earned his Ph.D. in Information Studies from Syracuse University, an M.A. in Library Science from the University of Wisconsin, and an M.F.A. in Photography and B.A. in History from the State University of New York at Buffalo.
What impressed me is that being a history major, he has advanced to IT field and travelled a very different path from general history graduate of his time!
I will always remembered him as he is also a graduate of University of Wisconsin.
Source of information: email from The Programmes and Social Committee, LAS dated Jun 14, 2010
Topic : Myths, Stories, and Possibilities
Date : 9 July 2010, Friday
Time : 3.00pm-5.00pm
Venue : Possibility Room, Level 5, National Library Building
LAS Professional Development Scheme (PDS) Points: 46
(Applicable only to librarians who are participants of PDS)
About the talk
As technology has developed over the past years moving from the Web to Web 2.0 to the Cloud, barriers have dropped and possibilities seem limitless. Our world is becoming ever more interlinked.
This presents both an opportunity and a dilemma for those of us in information services that need to plan for an increasingly technology-enabled future of interconnectedness.
How do you plan for the abundance of possibilities?
How do you plan in the absence of good predictive models?
What is really true about all the technological hype?
What really will change?
What core values and services will remain the same?
Planning for the future may be as much of process of discovery as a planning process. Success will be finding the right ingredients and partners. It also requires a bit of luck!
From the perspective of a former library dean, CIO, and now university professor, Paul Gandel leads a conversation about the challenges and opportunities he sees for this complex and cloudy future.
He illustrates these trends with stories from his own personal experiences: Creating new governance and consortium models in the face of changing technologies; green computing—an example of turning slogans into reality; and building new models of education and services for the information professional of the future.
About the speaker
Paul B. Gandel
Acting CIO, Singapore Management University
Professor of Information Studies, Syracuse University
Paul Gandel is Professor of Information Studies at Syracuse University. His teaching and research areas include the management of information technology systems, information management, leadership, information policy, and the visualization of information. Currently while on leave from Syracuse he is serving as acting CIO and senior consultant for Singapore Management University (SMU). He also is a visiting professor in the School of Information Systems at SMU.
Previously he served as the Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer (CIO) at Syracuse University.
As Chief Information Officer, Gandel was responsible for all aspects of information technology and information services—computer services, voice and data networking, instructional technology services, business process improvement, and distance learning technology.
During his tenure as CIO he was instrumental in modernizing the University’s technology infrastructure and IT support services to ensure that SU remains competitive with the growing demands of providing high-quality information resources for research, teaching and student learning environments.
Before coming to Syracuse University, Gandel was Vice Provost and Dean of Libraries at University of Rhode Island.
Before Rhode Island, Gandel was Associate Provost and Chief Information Officer at the Ohio University, Senior Director of Academic Computing and Associate Professor of Library Science at the University of North Texas, Supervisor of the Computing Technology Group at Bell Laboratories, Head of Media Services at the State University of New York at Plattsburgh, and Director of the Research Library at the Visual Studies Workshop in Rochester, New York.
Dr. Gandel earned his Ph.D. in Information Studies from Syracuse University, an M.A. in Library Science from the University of Wisconsin, and an M.F.A. in Photography and B.A. in History from the State University of New York at Buffalo.
What impressed me is that being a history major, he has advanced to IT field and travelled a very different path from general history graduate of his time!
I will always remembered him as he is also a graduate of University of Wisconsin.
Source of information: email from The Programmes and Social Committee, LAS dated Jun 14, 2010
Thursday, July 08, 2010
Your vision
If your vision is for a year, plant wheat.
If your vision is for ten years, plant trees.
If your vision is for a lifetime, plant people!
-- Chinese Proverb
If your vision is for ten years, plant trees.
If your vision is for a lifetime, plant people!
-- Chinese Proverb
Wednesday, July 07, 2010
Top 10 Sites for Creating Slide Shows by David Kapuler
Top 10 Sites for Creating Slide Shows by David Kapuler
I just received this email alert on the Top 10 Sites for Creating Slide Shows by David Kapuler
from:
Linkedin Groups: Technology Integration in Education
"Now that there are several free sites that let users create amazing slide shows, it's no longer necessary to have a program such as iPhoto or Power Point for the job.…"
"Slideshows are one of the most popular ways to integrate technology into education. Now that there are several free sites that let users create amazing slide shows, it’s no longer necessary to have a program such as iPhoto or Power Point for the job."
"Top 10 Sites for Creating Slide Shows:
1. Kizoa
- Creates beautiful slide shows, with a variety of music, effects, transitions to choose from.
2. Shwup
- Great site for creating private collaborative slide shows with features such as the ability to allow comments.
3. Photo Peach
- Unique site that allows users to create quizzes in their slide show through multiple choice questions.
4. Animoto
- One of the most popular sites around with an educational instance.
5. Slideroll
- A very nice site site that allows the user to make private or allow comments.
6. Flixtime
- Easy to use site where a user uploads photos and selects audio and transitions and then gets a code to embed into their site.
7. One True Media
- Great site to create animated slide shows with video.
8. PhotoSnack
- Very user friendly site with a drag & drop interface.
9. Pho.to
- Create flash based slide shows and get an embed code to put it on a site.
10. Vuvox
- An excellent site for creating beautiful multimedia slide shows.
David Kapuler was the media and technology specialist at Greendale (Wis.) School District. Read his blog at cyber-kap.blogspot.com."
Source of information:
http://www.linkedin.com/news?viewArticle=&articleID=145374083&gid=108447&type=news&item=145374083&articleURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Etechlearning%2Ecom%2Farticle%2F31270&urlhash=UfyD&goback=%2Egde_108447_news_145374083
If you have time to try any of the above, would appreciate it if you could post your comments and let me and others who use ppt for training know the + and - of the new applications!
Cheers!
Dexterine Ho
I just received this email alert on the Top 10 Sites for Creating Slide Shows by David Kapuler
from:
Linkedin Groups: Technology Integration in Education
"Now that there are several free sites that let users create amazing slide shows, it's no longer necessary to have a program such as iPhoto or Power Point for the job.…"
"Slideshows are one of the most popular ways to integrate technology into education. Now that there are several free sites that let users create amazing slide shows, it’s no longer necessary to have a program such as iPhoto or Power Point for the job."
"Top 10 Sites for Creating Slide Shows:
1. Kizoa
- Creates beautiful slide shows, with a variety of music, effects, transitions to choose from.
2. Shwup
- Great site for creating private collaborative slide shows with features such as the ability to allow comments.
3. Photo Peach
- Unique site that allows users to create quizzes in their slide show through multiple choice questions.
4. Animoto
- One of the most popular sites around with an educational instance.
5. Slideroll
- A very nice site site that allows the user to make private or allow comments.
6. Flixtime
- Easy to use site where a user uploads photos and selects audio and transitions and then gets a code to embed into their site.
7. One True Media
- Great site to create animated slide shows with video.
8. PhotoSnack
- Very user friendly site with a drag & drop interface.
9. Pho.to
- Create flash based slide shows and get an embed code to put it on a site.
10. Vuvox
- An excellent site for creating beautiful multimedia slide shows.
David Kapuler was the media and technology specialist at Greendale (Wis.) School District. Read his blog at cyber-kap.blogspot.com."
Source of information:
http://www.linkedin.com/news?viewArticle=&articleID=145374083&gid=108447&type=news&item=145374083&articleURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Etechlearning%2Ecom%2Farticle%2F31270&urlhash=UfyD&goback=%2Egde_108447_news_145374083
If you have time to try any of the above, would appreciate it if you could post your comments and let me and others who use ppt for training know the + and - of the new applications!
Cheers!
Dexterine Ho
Saturday, July 03, 2010
My Singapore Memory
What's Your Singapore Memory?
Free workshop @ National Library, 26 June & 3 July, 8.30am - 12pm
As part of the my Singapore Memory Project, I responed to NLB's invitation and joined as storywriters of Singapore's "rich" heritage.
As the announcement stated that participant needs not be a writer to start with, I just take the challenge and join the workshop to learn proper writing techniques.
"Neuro-Linguistic Programming" techniques was introduced and I find it easy to follow. It is a simple ways to source for our own stories.
Free workshop @ National Library, 26 June & 3 July, 8.30am - 12pm
As part of the my Singapore Memory Project, I responed to NLB's invitation and joined as storywriters of Singapore's "rich" heritage.
As the announcement stated that participant needs not be a writer to start with, I just take the challenge and join the workshop to learn proper writing techniques.
"Neuro-Linguistic Programming" techniques was introduced and I find it easy to follow. It is a simple ways to source for our own stories.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Superior vs average
One of the marks of superior people is that they are action-oriented.
One of the marks of average people is that they are talk-oriented.
-- Brian Tracy
From my work life experience, I think sometime the reverse is true:
Top management are talk-oriented, middle management and those below their level are action-oriented.
Dexterine Ho
One of the marks of average people is that they are talk-oriented.
-- Brian Tracy
From my work life experience, I think sometime the reverse is true:
Top management are talk-oriented, middle management and those below their level are action-oriented.
Dexterine Ho
Wednesday, June 02, 2010
Library of Singapore American School: LAS Library Visit
This morning, I joined the LAS Programmes and Social Committee for a tour of the Library of Singapore American School (High School).
The details for the visit are as follows:
Date: 2 June 2010 (Wednesday)
Time: 9.45 am – 12.00 pm
Meeting Point: Foyer of High School
Programme
9.45am-10am
Assemble in Foyer of High School
10am-10.30am
Welcome and Refreshments at the Magazine Area
10.30am-11.10am
Library Presentation in Multi Media Theater 11.10am-11.30am High School Library Tour
11.30am-12pm
Q & A, Casual Interaction and Walk to Middle School Library for a quick library tour
Location map: http://www.sas.edu.sg/about/directions.html
Professional Development Scheme (PDS) Points
Eligible for PDS Points: This activity attracts 46 points under the Industry Knowledge Development (ID) category." Study visit to other libraries (local and overseas)"
The details for the visit are as follows:
Date: 2 June 2010 (Wednesday)
Time: 9.45 am – 12.00 pm
Meeting Point: Foyer of High School
Programme
9.45am-10am
Assemble in Foyer of High School
10am-10.30am
Welcome and Refreshments at the Magazine Area
10.30am-11.10am
Library Presentation in Multi Media Theater 11.10am-11.30am High School Library Tour
11.30am-12pm
Q & A, Casual Interaction and Walk to Middle School Library for a quick library tour
Location map: http://www.sas.edu.sg/about/directions.html
Professional Development Scheme (PDS) Points
Eligible for PDS Points: This activity attracts 46 points under the Industry Knowledge Development (ID) category." Study visit to other libraries (local and overseas)"
Friday, May 21, 2010
NAFA (Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts) Library
The LAS Programmes and Social Committee organised a visit to the NAFA Library (Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts) for 50 members today.
Date: 21 May 2010 (Friday)
Time: 3 pm – 5 pm
Meeting Point: NAFA Campus 1 lobby, NAFA Campus 1, 80 Bencoolen Street , Singapore 189655
Here is the itinerary of the tour:
3.00 pm – 3.15 pm Meet at NAFA Campus 1 lobby
3.15 pm – 3.30 pm Introduction & watch NAFA corporate video at Board Room at Level 3
3.30 pm – 4.00 pm Tour of the library on 6th and 7th floor
4.00 pm – 4.15 pm Refreshments
4.15 pm – 4.30 pm Back to boardroom / staff lounge for an online demo on NAFA library’s digitization project
4.30 pm – 5 pm Tour of NAFA Gallery, Skylight Studio and possibly the Jewelry Workshop
The group was guided by Ms Carol Sim Soek Cheng , Director (Information Resources & Technology). We have the afternoon visit extended till 6pm as we enjoyed the viewing of the special collection on Local Artists Catalogue, the talk to the student artists, the Instructor of the Jewelry Course and many other unexpected sight of various NAFA studio/gallary.
At the end of the visit and tour, we are given a table of Art books for our selection. Even though all of us are tire and exhausted after the full afternoon programme, most of us are overjoyed to bag many heavy volumn of books home.
Thanks to NAFA and Ms Carol Sim for making the day filled with visual treats. The tangible reward of our visit are bags of valuable art books which is hard to afford or obtain in the bookshop for most of us.
If you miss this visit, the NAFA web site http://www.nafa.edu.sg/ may give you some good information to fill you gap. Yet, nothing can replace a real visit and I am glad to be with the group today!
Professional Development Scheme (PDS) Points
Eligible for PDS Points:
This activity attracts 46 points under the Industry Knowledge Development (ID) category. " Study visit to other libraries (local and overseas)"
Date: 21 May 2010 (Friday)
Time: 3 pm – 5 pm
Meeting Point: NAFA Campus 1 lobby, NAFA Campus 1, 80 Bencoolen Street , Singapore 189655
Here is the itinerary of the tour:
3.00 pm – 3.15 pm Meet at NAFA Campus 1 lobby
3.15 pm – 3.30 pm Introduction & watch NAFA corporate video at Board Room at Level 3
3.30 pm – 4.00 pm Tour of the library on 6th and 7th floor
4.00 pm – 4.15 pm Refreshments
4.15 pm – 4.30 pm Back to boardroom / staff lounge for an online demo on NAFA library’s digitization project
4.30 pm – 5 pm Tour of NAFA Gallery, Skylight Studio and possibly the Jewelry Workshop
The group was guided by Ms Carol Sim Soek Cheng , Director (Information Resources & Technology). We have the afternoon visit extended till 6pm as we enjoyed the viewing of the special collection on Local Artists Catalogue, the talk to the student artists, the Instructor of the Jewelry Course and many other unexpected sight of various NAFA studio/gallary.
At the end of the visit and tour, we are given a table of Art books for our selection. Even though all of us are tire and exhausted after the full afternoon programme, most of us are overjoyed to bag many heavy volumn of books home.
Thanks to NAFA and Ms Carol Sim for making the day filled with visual treats. The tangible reward of our visit are bags of valuable art books which is hard to afford or obtain in the bookshop for most of us.
If you miss this visit, the NAFA web site http://www.nafa.edu.sg/ may give you some good information to fill you gap. Yet, nothing can replace a real visit and I am glad to be with the group today!
Professional Development Scheme (PDS) Points
Eligible for PDS Points:
This activity attracts 46 points under the Industry Knowledge Development (ID) category. " Study visit to other libraries (local and overseas)"
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Maturity
Maturity begins when we're content to feel we're right about something, without feeling the necessity to prove someone else is wrong.
-- Sydney J. Harris (1917-1986)
It is the same as creating a win-win situation in any human relationship.
When you have this mind set, it is easy for you to go ahead with what you choose to do which may be very different from what others around you are doing!
You do what you feel right about something and concentrate on that! The chance of being successful in your pursuit is 50% higher as you do not need to spend time and energy to prove that someone else is wrong!
Dexterine Ho
-- Sydney J. Harris (1917-1986)
It is the same as creating a win-win situation in any human relationship.
When you have this mind set, it is easy for you to go ahead with what you choose to do which may be very different from what others around you are doing!
You do what you feel right about something and concentrate on that! The chance of being successful in your pursuit is 50% higher as you do not need to spend time and energy to prove that someone else is wrong!
Dexterine Ho
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Happiness
Happiness is essentially a state of going somewhere,
wholeheartedly,one-directionally,
without regret or reservation.
-- William H. Sheldon
Most of us do things half heartedly and regret for not putting in more efforts at the first place.
We are not happy with what we have chosen to do, or not to do most of the time!
Happinese is being able to match what inside you with what outside there in the real world!
Dexterine Ho
wholeheartedly,one-directionally,
without regret or reservation.
-- William H. Sheldon
Most of us do things half heartedly and regret for not putting in more efforts at the first place.
We are not happy with what we have chosen to do, or not to do most of the time!
Happinese is being able to match what inside you with what outside there in the real world!
Dexterine Ho
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Be the bearer of good news
Here's a task: Be the bearer of only good news today. In living out this task, note whether you find it difficult to maintain.
And if so, discover why within yourself.
-- Caroline Myss and Peter Occhiogrosso
If you reflect on how you choose the news that you like to share with others, you will understand how your inner emotion process the things outside you!
Being human, it is hard for us to be the bearer of only good news. Using only kind words and kind thought need a lot of internal discipline and decision making in the information process.
Librarian needs to apply search strategies to collect and choose useful information and knowledge for users.
Library skills is acquired through years of practice and with Internet, everyone can google, and the chances of having a good search is possible if you have time to browse and select!
If you google long enough, you will understand that browsing and selecting is also an inner process of which you apply your decision making! What is out there in the result list is only relevant to you when you choose to look at it in details.
With news from all sources, if one choose to be the bearer of good news, one needs to pause and reflect what is good and do the gate keeping job. What is available on the Internet is not critical, it is what you choose to share that is critical. Try it, it is hard work even for one day.
If you try it for a day yourself, you will understand it is not easy. Hence, when you listen to others who are the bearers of bad news or bad+good news, you will understand it is human nature and you may be less emotional when the bad news or bad words hit you from time to time!
It is hard, it is not easy to be bearer of good news!
As you go through the task yourself, you will understand and find the task difficult to maintain. With that, if you reflect, you will discover the reasons within yourself.
Dexterine Ho
And if so, discover why within yourself.
-- Caroline Myss and Peter Occhiogrosso
If you reflect on how you choose the news that you like to share with others, you will understand how your inner emotion process the things outside you!
Being human, it is hard for us to be the bearer of only good news. Using only kind words and kind thought need a lot of internal discipline and decision making in the information process.
Librarian needs to apply search strategies to collect and choose useful information and knowledge for users.
Library skills is acquired through years of practice and with Internet, everyone can google, and the chances of having a good search is possible if you have time to browse and select!
If you google long enough, you will understand that browsing and selecting is also an inner process of which you apply your decision making! What is out there in the result list is only relevant to you when you choose to look at it in details.
With news from all sources, if one choose to be the bearer of good news, one needs to pause and reflect what is good and do the gate keeping job. What is available on the Internet is not critical, it is what you choose to share that is critical. Try it, it is hard work even for one day.
If you try it for a day yourself, you will understand it is not easy. Hence, when you listen to others who are the bearers of bad news or bad+good news, you will understand it is human nature and you may be less emotional when the bad news or bad words hit you from time to time!
It is hard, it is not easy to be bearer of good news!
As you go through the task yourself, you will understand and find the task difficult to maintain. With that, if you reflect, you will discover the reasons within yourself.
Dexterine Ho
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Deliberately choosing our thoughts
When we take control of our mental state by deliberately choosing our thoughts and attitudes, we can alter the meaning we associate to the experiences we have and results we see in our life.
-- Clayton J. Moore
-- Clayton J. Moore
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Life is ...
When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.
-- Viktor Frankl
We will receive not what we idly wish for but what we justly earn.
Our rewards will always be in exact proportion to our service.
-- Earl Nightingale (1921-1989)
Do not fear death so much, but rather the inadequate life.
-- Bertolt Brecht (1898-1956)
When you do nothing, you feel overwhelmed and powerless.
But when you get involved, you feel the sense of hope and accomplishment that comes from knowing you are working to make things better.
-- Pauline R. Kezer
-- Viktor Frankl
We will receive not what we idly wish for but what we justly earn.
Our rewards will always be in exact proportion to our service.
-- Earl Nightingale (1921-1989)
Do not fear death so much, but rather the inadequate life.
-- Bertolt Brecht (1898-1956)
When you do nothing, you feel overwhelmed and powerless.
But when you get involved, you feel the sense of hope and accomplishment that comes from knowing you are working to make things better.
-- Pauline R. Kezer
Monday, April 19, 2010
Life Difficulties and choices you make
When we long for life without difficulties, remind us that oaks grow strong in contrary winds and diamonds are made under pressure.
-- Peter Marshal
A sign of wisdom and maturity is when you come to terms with the realization that your decisions cause your rewards and consequences.
You are responsible for your life, and your ultimate success depends on the choices you make.
-- Denis Waitley
-- Peter Marshal
A sign of wisdom and maturity is when you come to terms with the realization that your decisions cause your rewards and consequences.
You are responsible for your life, and your ultimate success depends on the choices you make.
-- Denis Waitley
Friday, April 09, 2010
Singapore Press Holdings Information Resource Centre
The LAS Programmes and Social Committee organised a tour of the Singapore Press Holdings Information Resource Centre for over 30 members today.
The tour included briefings by three SPH departments and a visit to RazorTV, the “100 per cent Singaporean video news channel”.
Date: 9 April 2010 (Friday)
Time: 2:30 pm – 5:15 pm
Meeting Point: Reception area, Podium Block, SPH News Centre, 1000 Toa Payoh North, Singapore 318994
Here is the programme:
2:30 pm - Meet at the reception area, Podium Block, SPH
2.45 – 3.05 pm Welcome & Briefing on IRC services
3.05 – 3.20 pm Presentation by IBU
3.20 – 3.30 pm Q&A Session
3.35 – 3.55 pm Visit RazorTV
4.00 – 4.20 pm Presentation by STPress
4.25 – 4.45 pm Tour of IRC
4.45 – 5.15 pm Refreshments and End of Visit
I enjoy visiting SPH Information Resource Centre from time to time. I think I am a frequent visitor of the Library, hence, Mr Idris, the Librarian said I may be able to help briefing the new members who are first time visitor.
Well, I do not think so as SPH Information Resource Centre had evloved from time to time to match the new demands of the organisation.
Every visit to the library allow me to update my understanding of their roles and services. This visit is extremely inspirating as we are invited to view not just the Information Resource Centre, but also have a glimpse of 90.5 radio station/studio, RazorTV, and meet some DJ who are on duties.
It is an eye opening experience to me and I appreciate this visit organised by LAS Programmes and Social Committee. For LAS members who miss this opportunity, you may view http://www.sph.com.sg/ and explore it the e-way!
Professional Development Scheme (PDS) Points
Eligible for PDS Points: This activity attracts 46 points under the Industry Knowledge Development (ID) category. " Study visit to other libraries (local and overseas)"
The tour included briefings by three SPH departments and a visit to RazorTV, the “100 per cent Singaporean video news channel”.
Date: 9 April 2010 (Friday)
Time: 2:30 pm – 5:15 pm
Meeting Point: Reception area, Podium Block, SPH News Centre, 1000 Toa Payoh North, Singapore 318994
Here is the programme:
2:30 pm - Meet at the reception area, Podium Block, SPH
2.45 – 3.05 pm Welcome & Briefing on IRC services
3.05 – 3.20 pm Presentation by IBU
3.20 – 3.30 pm Q&A Session
3.35 – 3.55 pm Visit RazorTV
4.00 – 4.20 pm Presentation by STPress
4.25 – 4.45 pm Tour of IRC
4.45 – 5.15 pm Refreshments and End of Visit
I enjoy visiting SPH Information Resource Centre from time to time. I think I am a frequent visitor of the Library, hence, Mr Idris, the Librarian said I may be able to help briefing the new members who are first time visitor.
Well, I do not think so as SPH Information Resource Centre had evloved from time to time to match the new demands of the organisation.
Every visit to the library allow me to update my understanding of their roles and services. This visit is extremely inspirating as we are invited to view not just the Information Resource Centre, but also have a glimpse of 90.5 radio station/studio, RazorTV, and meet some DJ who are on duties.
It is an eye opening experience to me and I appreciate this visit organised by LAS Programmes and Social Committee. For LAS members who miss this opportunity, you may view http://www.sph.com.sg/ and explore it the e-way!
Professional Development Scheme (PDS) Points
Eligible for PDS Points: This activity attracts 46 points under the Industry Knowledge Development (ID) category. " Study visit to other libraries (local and overseas)"
Thursday, April 01, 2010
Eye care
After having retinal tear on my left eye, I started to explore various ways to care for my eyes. Here are some good video that I like to revisit:
Retinal Tears and Detachments
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBGuVym7eeA
How to Relax Your Eyes!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZLDKGT1ELY&feature=PlayList&p=CB121417A83B025E&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=3
Computer Eye Strain Eye Exercises
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W10j2fL0hy0&feature=related
Eye Exercise - Advanced Moving Eyes & Head Exercise
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TuIZjOCvS4&NR=1
Do exercise your eye care and you will see the different after a while!
Dexterine Ho
Retinal Tears and Detachments
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBGuVym7eeA
How to Relax Your Eyes!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZLDKGT1ELY&feature=PlayList&p=CB121417A83B025E&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=3
Computer Eye Strain Eye Exercises
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W10j2fL0hy0&feature=related
Eye Exercise - Advanced Moving Eyes & Head Exercise
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TuIZjOCvS4&NR=1
Do exercise your eye care and you will see the different after a while!
Dexterine Ho
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Data Services and Hot Issues in American Libraries
Terrence Bennett, Business & Economics Librarian from The College of New Jersey have a talk at Li Ka Shing Library in the Singapore Management University this afternoon between 3.30pm to 5pm.
Terrence discussed his research concerning data services in academic libraries, including preliminary findings from his current investigation of data acquisition, creation and use among researchers at SMU.
In addition, he also shared some interesting findings concerning the causes of emotional toxicity among coworkers in libraries.
Terrence in his closing remark highlighted some of the recent issues in librarianship that have become catalysts for concern and controversy among US librarians.
What I take home and have it linger in my mind is: If the online catalog in the library is just "card catalog" online, would that be replaced by the other more efficient methods of online record format for books etc...
LAS Professional Development Scheme (PDS):
Participant can earn 46 points under Industry Knowledge Development – Participate in library related talks, forums, discussion sessions and business meetings organized by LAS or other libraries (category ID1)
Terrence discussed his research concerning data services in academic libraries, including preliminary findings from his current investigation of data acquisition, creation and use among researchers at SMU.
In addition, he also shared some interesting findings concerning the causes of emotional toxicity among coworkers in libraries.
Terrence in his closing remark highlighted some of the recent issues in librarianship that have become catalysts for concern and controversy among US librarians.
What I take home and have it linger in my mind is: If the online catalog in the library is just "card catalog" online, would that be replaced by the other more efficient methods of online record format for books etc...
LAS Professional Development Scheme (PDS):
Participant can earn 46 points under Industry Knowledge Development – Participate in library related talks, forums, discussion sessions and business meetings organized by LAS or other libraries (category ID1)
Friday, March 19, 2010
Today I joined the Programmes and Social Committee, LAS for a tour of the Library of Nanyang Polytechnic.
Date:
19 March 2010 (Friday)
Time:
3:15 pm – 5:30 pm
Meeting Point:
Library main entrance located at Block A, Level 4
The itinerary of the tour is as follows:
Time
3.15 pm
Meet at the Library main entrance. The Library is located at Block A Level 4
3.30 pm - 3.50 pm
Introduction to NYP Library
3.50 pm - 4.15 pm
Powerpoint presentation on library services
4.15 pm - 5.00 pm
Library Tour
5.00 pm - 5.30 pm
Refreshment & Interaction with Library Staff
I am glad to meet many old friends, ex-colleagues, counterparts and TP students!
Many thanks to LAS and the Programmes and Social Committee
Professional Development Scheme (PDS) Points
Eligible for PDS Points:
This activity attracts 46 points under the Industry Knowledge Development (ID) category. "Study visit to other libraries (local and overseas)"
Date:
19 March 2010 (Friday)
Time:
3:15 pm – 5:30 pm
Meeting Point:
Library main entrance located at Block A, Level 4
The itinerary of the tour is as follows:
Time
3.15 pm
Meet at the Library main entrance. The Library is located at Block A Level 4
3.30 pm - 3.50 pm
Introduction to NYP Library
3.50 pm - 4.15 pm
Powerpoint presentation on library services
4.15 pm - 5.00 pm
Library Tour
5.00 pm - 5.30 pm
Refreshment & Interaction with Library Staff
I am glad to meet many old friends, ex-colleagues, counterparts and TP students!
Many thanks to LAS and the Programmes and Social Committee
Professional Development Scheme (PDS) Points
Eligible for PDS Points:
This activity attracts 46 points under the Industry Knowledge Development (ID) category. "Study visit to other libraries (local and overseas)"
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
如何把小事做大
Just to share the inspiring message I have from youtube today:
俞敏洪讲述如何把小事做大
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vapr0i3mKrw
俞敏洪语录 :
如果你要引人注目，就要使得自己成为一棵树，傲立于大地之间；而不是做一颗草，你见过谁踩了一棵草，还抱歉地对草说：对不起？
当你是地平线上一棵草的时候，不要指望别人会在远处看到你，即使他们从你身边走过甚至从你身上踩过，也没有办法，因为你只是一棵草；而如果你变成了一棵树，即使在很远的地方，别人也会看到你，并且欣赏你，因为你是一棵树！
人生的奋斗目标不要太大，认准了一件事情，投入兴趣与热情坚持去做，你就会成功。
人的生活方式有两种，
第一种方式是像草一样活着，
你尽管活着，
每年还在成长，
但是你毕竟是一棵草，
你吸收雨露阳光，
但是却长不大。
人们可以踩过你，
但是人们不会因为你的痛苦，而他产生痛苦；
人们不会因为你被踩了，而来怜悯你，
因为人们本身就没有看到你。
所以我们每一个人，
都应该像树一样的成长，
即使我们现在什么都不是，
但是只要你有树的种子，
即使你被踩到泥土中间，
你依然能够吸收泥土的养分，
自己成长起来。
当你长成参天大树以后，
遥远的地方，人们就能看到你；
走近你，你能给人一片绿色。
活着是美丽的风景，
死了依然是栋梁之才，
活着死了都有用。
这就是我们每一个同学做人的标准和成长的标准。
水的精神
每一条河流都有自己不同的生命曲线， 但是每一条河流都有自己的梦想——那就是奔向大海。我们的生命，有的时候会是泥沙。你可能慢慢地就会像泥沙一样，沉淀下去了。一旦你沉淀下去了，也许你不用再为了前进而努力了，但是你却永远见不到阳光了。所以我建议大家，不管你现在的生命是怎么样的，一定要有水的精神——像水一样不断地积蓄自己的力量，不断地冲破障碍。当你发现时机不到的时候，把自己的厚度给积累起来，当有一天时机来临的时候，你就能够奔腾入海，成就自己的生命。
Source of information:
http://baike.baidu.com/view/5395.htm
人最坏的习惯之一就是抱住已经拥有的东西不放，其实一个人只要舍得放下自己的那点小天地，就很容易海阔天空。
Source of information:
http://baike.baidu.com/view/1080449.htm
俞敏洪讲述如何把小事做大
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vapr0i3mKrw
俞敏洪语录 :
如果你要引人注目，就要使得自己成为一棵树，傲立于大地之间；而不是做一颗草，你见过谁踩了一棵草，还抱歉地对草说：对不起？
当你是地平线上一棵草的时候，不要指望别人会在远处看到你，即使他们从你身边走过甚至从你身上踩过，也没有办法，因为你只是一棵草；而如果你变成了一棵树，即使在很远的地方，别人也会看到你，并且欣赏你，因为你是一棵树！
人生的奋斗目标不要太大，认准了一件事情，投入兴趣与热情坚持去做，你就会成功。
人的生活方式有两种，
第一种方式是像草一样活着，
你尽管活着，
每年还在成长，
但是你毕竟是一棵草，
你吸收雨露阳光，
但是却长不大。
人们可以踩过你，
但是人们不会因为你的痛苦，而他产生痛苦；
人们不会因为你被踩了，而来怜悯你，
因为人们本身就没有看到你。
所以我们每一个人，
都应该像树一样的成长，
即使我们现在什么都不是，
但是只要你有树的种子，
即使你被踩到泥土中间，
你依然能够吸收泥土的养分，
自己成长起来。
当你长成参天大树以后，
遥远的地方，人们就能看到你；
走近你，你能给人一片绿色。
活着是美丽的风景，
死了依然是栋梁之才，
活着死了都有用。
这就是我们每一个同学做人的标准和成长的标准。
水的精神
每一条河流都有自己不同的生命曲线， 但是每一条河流都有自己的梦想——那就是奔向大海。我们的生命，有的时候会是泥沙。你可能慢慢地就会像泥沙一样，沉淀下去了。一旦你沉淀下去了，也许你不用再为了前进而努力了，但是你却永远见不到阳光了。所以我建议大家，不管你现在的生命是怎么样的，一定要有水的精神——像水一样不断地积蓄自己的力量，不断地冲破障碍。当你发现时机不到的时候，把自己的厚度给积累起来，当有一天时机来临的时候，你就能够奔腾入海，成就自己的生命。
Source of information:
http://baike.baidu.com/view/5395.htm
人最坏的习惯之一就是抱住已经拥有的东西不放，其实一个人只要舍得放下自己的那点小天地，就很容易海阔天空。
Source of information:
http://baike.baidu.com/view/1080449.htm
Thursday, March 04, 2010
Development of Institutional Repository using DSpace Software: An experience @ JIIT Noida
I just attended the following professional talk at NLB today:
Topic : Development of Institutional Repository using DSpace Software: An experience @ JIIT Noida
Speaker : Dr Sanjay Kataria, Head, Learning Resource Centre, Jaypee Institute of Information Technology University
Date : 4 March 2010 (Thursday)
Time : 4.00pm - 5.30pm (Please be seated by 3.50pm.)
Venue : Visitor's Briefing Room, Level 1, National Library Building
LAS Professional Development Scheme (PDS) Points: 46
(Applicable only to librarians who are participants of PDS)
The presentation emphasize the development of Institutional Repository (IR) by using open sources software for maintaining, sustaining, and preserving of scholarly contents of an institution/university.
It also focus on the possible difficulties before and after development of an institutional repository.
The presentation include live experiences and experiments. Further, the components for building institutional repository/digital library was being discussed and Dr Kataria concluded the presentation with important lessons learnt during the experimenting and development of institutional repository @ Jaypee Institute of Information Technology Noida UP India.
Dr Sanjay Kataria is working as Head, Learning Resource Centre, Jaypee Institute of Information Technology Noida UP India.
He has also accredited the libraries of Jaypee Group of Institutions i.e. JUIT, JIET, JBS and Extended centre of JIIT Noida. Dr Kataria is an innovative and active library professional. He has more than one decade of experience from various reputed organizations including United Service Institution of India.
Dr Kataria has earned Master of Philosophy and Doctoral of Philosophy in Library and Information Science. He has contributed 14 research papers in various national and international conferences and journals, edited two books, three souvenirs and one proceeding of International Symposium.
Topic : Development of Institutional Repository using DSpace Software: An experience @ JIIT Noida
Speaker : Dr Sanjay Kataria, Head, Learning Resource Centre, Jaypee Institute of Information Technology University
Date : 4 March 2010 (Thursday)
Time : 4.00pm - 5.30pm (Please be seated by 3.50pm.)
Venue : Visitor's Briefing Room, Level 1, National Library Building
LAS Professional Development Scheme (PDS) Points: 46
(Applicable only to librarians who are participants of PDS)
The presentation emphasize the development of Institutional Repository (IR) by using open sources software for maintaining, sustaining, and preserving of scholarly contents of an institution/university.
It also focus on the possible difficulties before and after development of an institutional repository.
The presentation include live experiences and experiments. Further, the components for building institutional repository/digital library was being discussed and Dr Kataria concluded the presentation with important lessons learnt during the experimenting and development of institutional repository @ Jaypee Institute of Information Technology Noida UP India.
Dr Sanjay Kataria is working as Head, Learning Resource Centre, Jaypee Institute of Information Technology Noida UP India.
He has also accredited the libraries of Jaypee Group of Institutions i.e. JUIT, JIET, JBS and Extended centre of JIIT Noida. Dr Kataria is an innovative and active library professional. He has more than one decade of experience from various reputed organizations including United Service Institution of India.
Dr Kataria has earned Master of Philosophy and Doctoral of Philosophy in Library and Information Science. He has contributed 14 research papers in various national and international conferences and journals, edited two books, three souvenirs and one proceeding of International Symposium.
Tuesday, March 02, 2010
Inner attitudes
"Human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives."
- William James
- William James
Monday, February 08, 2010
Creativity vs uncertainties
"Creativity requires the courage to let go of certainties."
- Erich Fromm
- Erich Fromm
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Wisdom, Knowledge and Education vs Religion
Religion, like water, may be free, but when they pipe it to you, you've got to help pay for piping. And the Piper!
--Abigail Van Buren
Wisdom, like water, may be free, but when they pipe it to you, you've got to help pay for piping, and the Piper!
Knowledge, like water, may be free, but when they pipe it to you, you've got to help pay for piping, and the Piper!
Education, like water, may be free, but when they pipe it to you, you've got to help pay for piping, and the Piper!
That may explain the cost of education nowadays as the pipes are getting longer and become very complicated.
The Pipers are working so hard to sort out the various pipes, colour coding them and try to match a unique pipe to a unique learner.
On top of that, water, though inexpensive, is not free in most countries now! Hence, if you are willing to learn and can learn by self study, it will cost you very little beside your time and your effort.
If you cannot learn it through self study, you have to pay the school fee, additional tuition fee and other fees like transportation etc...
Dexterine Ho
--Abigail Van Buren
Wisdom, like water, may be free, but when they pipe it to you, you've got to help pay for piping, and the Piper!
Knowledge, like water, may be free, but when they pipe it to you, you've got to help pay for piping, and the Piper!
Education, like water, may be free, but when they pipe it to you, you've got to help pay for piping, and the Piper!
That may explain the cost of education nowadays as the pipes are getting longer and become very complicated.
The Pipers are working so hard to sort out the various pipes, colour coding them and try to match a unique pipe to a unique learner.
On top of that, water, though inexpensive, is not free in most countries now! Hence, if you are willing to learn and can learn by self study, it will cost you very little beside your time and your effort.
If you cannot learn it through self study, you have to pay the school fee, additional tuition fee and other fees like transportation etc...
Dexterine Ho
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Self-love vs self-abuse
We have the need to be accepted and to be loved by others, but we cannot accept and love ourselves.
The more self-love we have, the less we will experience self-abuse.
Self-abuse comes from self-rejection, and self-rejection comes from having an image of what it means to be perfect and never measuring up to that ideal.
Our image of perfection is the reason we reject ourselves the way we are, and why we don't accept others the way they are.
-- Don Miguel Ruiz
The more self-love we have, the less we will experience self-abuse.
Self-abuse comes from self-rejection, and self-rejection comes from having an image of what it means to be perfect and never measuring up to that ideal.
Our image of perfection is the reason we reject ourselves the way we are, and why we don't accept others the way they are.
-- Don Miguel Ruiz
Friday, January 22, 2010
It is not what happens to you, it is what you do about it!
...what I focus on in life is what I get.
And if I concentrate on how bad I am or how wrong I am or how inadequate I am,
if I concentrate on what I can’t do and how there’s not enough time in which to do it,
isn’t that what I get every time?
And when I think about how powerful I am,
and when I think about what I have left to contribute,
and when I think about the difference I can make on this planet,
then that’s what I get.
You see, I recognize that it’s not what happens to you;
it’s what you do about it.
-- W. Mitchell
For more information, visit: http://www.wmitchell.com/
...what I focus on in life is what I get.
And if I concentrate on how bad I am or how wrong I am or how inadequate I am,
if I concentrate on what I can’t do and how there’s not enough time in which to do it,
isn’t that what I get every time?
And when I think about how powerful I am,
and when I think about what I have left to contribute,
and when I think about the difference I can make on this planet,
then that’s what I get.
You see, I recognize that it’s not what happens to you;
it’s what you do about it.
-- W. Mitchell
For more information, visit: http://www.wmitchell.com/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
