-Christian Godefroy-
To understand the value of a year, talk to a student who has
failed an important exam.
To understand the value of a month, talk to a mother who has
given birth to a baby a month prematurely.
To understand the value of a week, talk to the publisher of a
weekly newspaper.
To understand the value of an hour, talk to a couple in love
who are separated and want only to be together again.
( yes I wish we could be together again, at least an hour)
To understand the value of a minute, talk to someone who has
just missed a train or a plane. (oh I can relate...ask me)
To understand the value of a second, talk to someone who has
lost a loved one in an accident.
To understand the value of a millisecond, talk to someone who
won a silver medal at the Olympic Games.
Time waits for no one. Gather all the time you have left every
moment, and it will be of great use to you. Share it with people
you value and love and it will become even more precious.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
The Triple Filter Test
In ancient Greece, Socrates was reputed to hold knowledge in
high esteem. One day an acquaintance met the great philosopher
and said, "Do you know what I just heard about your friend?"
"Hold on a minute," Socrates replied. "Before telling me
anything, I'd like you to pass a little test. It's called the
Triple Filter Test."
"Triple filter?"
"That's right," Socrates continued. "Before you talk to me about
my friend, it might be a good idea to take a moment and filter what
you're going to say. That's why I call it the triple filter test.
The first filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what
you are about to tell me is true?"
"No," the man said, "Actually I just heard about it and..."
"All right," said Socrates. "So you don't really know if it's
true or not. Now let's try the second filter, the filter of
goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my friend
something good?"
"No, on the contrary..."
"So," Socrates continued, "You want to tell me something bad
about him, but you're not certain it's true. You may still pass
the test though, because there's one filter left: the filter of
usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my friend going to
be useful to me?"
"No, not really."
"Well," concluded Socrates, "If what you want to tell me is
neither true nor good nor even useful, why tell it to me at all?"
high esteem. One day an acquaintance met the great philosopher
and said, "Do you know what I just heard about your friend?"
"Hold on a minute," Socrates replied. "Before telling me
anything, I'd like you to pass a little test. It's called the
Triple Filter Test."
"Triple filter?"
"That's right," Socrates continued. "Before you talk to me about
my friend, it might be a good idea to take a moment and filter what
you're going to say. That's why I call it the triple filter test.
The first filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what
you are about to tell me is true?"
"No," the man said, "Actually I just heard about it and..."
"All right," said Socrates. "So you don't really know if it's
true or not. Now let's try the second filter, the filter of
goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my friend
something good?"
"No, on the contrary..."
"So," Socrates continued, "You want to tell me something bad
about him, but you're not certain it's true. You may still pass
the test though, because there's one filter left: the filter of
usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my friend going to
be useful to me?"
"No, not really."
"Well," concluded Socrates, "If what you want to tell me is
neither true nor good nor even useful, why tell it to me at all?"
Friday, February 26, 2010
Amazing "Queen" Kim Yu Na
My 9-year old online student from Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, asked me if I watched the Winter Olympics Figure Skating. I haven't seen it on tv but I've heard that South Korean won as the champion but I didn't know her and didn't even see any of her performance on ice. Anna appeared to be very interested to talk about the subject for the next 30-minute online class. She sent me links from a Korean site showing the girl's performance. (Here's the link that she sent me)
She said, "you don't know, Kim Yu Na is very good. I like her, my mother, brother and me went to her skating rink in Seoul. Mother is so happy we all watched her on tv tonight." She was so lively that I had quickly browsed more information about her so I would know what to say and at least we could talk about her, since Kim Yu Na was born in the city where she lives.
"As of February 2010, Kim is ranked first in the world by the International Skating Union (ISU).She is also the current record holder for ladies in the short program, the free skating and the combined total under the ISU Judging System. She was the first female skater to surpass the 200-point mark under the ISU Judging System." wikipedia
As I watched some of her videos on youtube after our class, I couldn't help but say, "Wow!, Amazing! Perfect!" She really did a wonderful job. No wonder she won the gold medal for 2010 Winter Olympics. I felt that she was telling me to try it and it would be so much fun. I always thought that if one could skate well then he must be good in dancing and have a good balance. I know I don't have either of then so I am a little pessimistic about trying to skate. But I hope one day I can try.
Kim Yu Na in 2009 World Championships, I couldn't find her latest video during the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
She said, "you don't know, Kim Yu Na is very good. I like her, my mother, brother and me went to her skating rink in Seoul. Mother is so happy we all watched her on tv tonight." She was so lively that I had quickly browsed more information about her so I would know what to say and at least we could talk about her, since Kim Yu Na was born in the city where she lives.
"As of February 2010, Kim is ranked first in the world by the International Skating Union (ISU).She is also the current record holder for ladies in the short program, the free skating and the combined total under the ISU Judging System. She was the first female skater to surpass the 200-point mark under the ISU Judging System." wikipedia
As I watched some of her videos on youtube after our class, I couldn't help but say, "Wow!, Amazing! Perfect!" She really did a wonderful job. No wonder she won the gold medal for 2010 Winter Olympics. I felt that she was telling me to try it and it would be so much fun. I always thought that if one could skate well then he must be good in dancing and have a good balance. I know I don't have either of then so I am a little pessimistic about trying to skate. But I hope one day I can try.
Kim Yu Na in 2009 World Championships, I couldn't find her latest video during the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Happy Chinese New Year: Year of the Tiger
The second month of 2010 happens to be the first month of the year for Chinese. What's exciting about their New Year is that it falls on the 14th of February which is also a Valentines Day. Chinese people love red, so everything around us is red, it felt like Valentines Day. Although it is my second year in China, it is my first time to be out on the street watching the people welcome the New Year with colorful and deafening fireworks in Beijing. The freezing night didn't stop us from going out on the street and tried capture the moment...ssssssshhhhhhh........boom....flash......oopppppppssssss runnnnn!
We also had a wonderful time "making" or shall I say "wrapping" dumplings, thanks to Luka and her boyfriend Erick, who patiently showed us how to wrap dumplings nicely. My 2010 New Year in China is so memorable because I spent it with a group of amazing people; new friends (my bf friends), my beautiful and true friend Nerissa and my sweetlovingromanticthoughtfulfunnyunderstandingsupportivesmartgwapo (yes, that's all one word, the longest adjective hehehe) boyfriend FJR.
These are the people who made my Chinese New Year meaningful.
Nerissa: Thank you for coming all the way from Shenyang to Beijing just to be with us. I understand that your schedule is so tight but you made it and I really appreciate your time with us. I hope I would be able to visit your place one day. Have a wonderful 2010...as you said in IAU before, "may each of us be the reason for someone to smile." For me you are one of the reasons why I smile. I hope you will find something that will make you smile each day.
Grace: Thank you for spending time with us and for showing us a great place to have fun. I had a wonderful time sledding and having dinner with that Chinese Beef Steak? I love that meal. Thank you for taking great pictures too!
Grace (Beijing Apartment): Thank you for providing us with a nice place to stay with a magnificent view of Beijing Chaoyang District. I would love to stay in that place again. ( I don't have her photo)
Delia: Thank you for playing UNO with us and spending the night in our apartment and giving us the gift card for that expensive Italian restaurant. Congratulations for being an excellent employee in Sadler and for receiving the gift certificate as a reward. Keep it up!
Lisa: Thank you for singing with us and introducing me to a vegetarian restaurant. Wow, honestly it was my first time to be on a vegetarian restaurant and the dishes taste far from being vegetables at all..I love the sausage, steak and most of all the FISH...Xiexie a lot Lisa.. Thanks to your husband and niece, they're kind and sweet.
Christine and Husband: Thank you for your time and for walking with us to Wangfujing street to the camera repair shop and for calling them. I am glad I had the chance to meet such a nice couple like you.Thank you for the flowers. I wish you all the love, joy and prosperity for all the years to come. Congratulations!
Luka and Erick: "Lovers in Beijing" Thank you for the great dinner and most of all for teaching us how to wrap dumplings. Hope to see you again!
Most of all, my New Year and Valentines in China is more than wonderful because of someone who flew all the way from Atlanta to Shanghai, Beijing then back to Shanghai and then to Suzhou to be with me. He made my dream come true and he made me believe that TRUE LOVE exists. He showed me that loving means trusting, respecting, forgiving, believing, giving, having fun, understanding and loving unconditionally. To my boyfriend, Cisco, thank you so much for coming into my life. I Love You....
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Snow in Beijing
Finally I got the chance to hold some snow in my hands and enjoy the white beauty of Beijing.
It was just flurries but for me it was enough to make me feel amazed with how things suddenly turned white. Snow made the place so clean and calm.Walking on it made me feel at peace and I was glad that finally after more than a year in China, my wish was granted.
It was just flurries but for me it was enough to make me feel amazed with how things suddenly turned white. Snow made the place so clean and calm.Walking on it made me feel at peace and I was glad that finally after more than a year in China, my wish was granted.
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