Minimalistic

I think, possibly, I want to be simple. I am complicated to a certain extent, I think, in certain many situations. Mostly, thinking wise, then into decisions and afterward not-necessarily-well-thought actions. Ah, why bother.

Anyway, sports.

I went to Westpac Stadium this morning to watch the football team LA Galaxy practice for tomorrow's game against Wellington Phoenix. Well, I didn't bought the ticket for the actual official match so watching them practice is good enough. It's free anyway. David Beckham was there. Landon Donovan, Cobi Jones and the legendary Ruud Gullit (I think because I believe he changed his hairstyle). It was fun watching a high level football team plays with outstanding players such as mentioned, except Ruud since he's the coach. It got me thinking though, I'm not an avid football fan. I just have general interest in sports and having to watch world class players on the pitch is something very inspiring for me. Rugby; Carlos Spencer, Brian O' Driscoll, Richie McCaw, Baseball; Ichiro Suzuki, American Football; Peyton Manning, Reggie Bush. Yet, I find myself drifting away from my own main sport. It's been such a long while since I last went and play proper basketball. Although, my knee doesn't help me much in motivating me to continue and play this favourite sport of mine. Watching the LA Galaxy this morning, I realized just how much I would really love to watch world class basketball teams play; Spain, Greece, USA with exceptional players like Juan Carlos Navarro, Theodores Papaloukas, Tim Duncan, Jason Kidd, Dwayne Wade and my all-time favourite, Peja Stojakovic. Apparently I hardly spend much on basketball substances, like buying jerseys, fancy shoes, posters and stuffs. I have no idea why. Sometimes I do question whether do I really like basketball. Heck, I love this game to bits. I won't want to question my loyalty to this sport.

I wish to pick myself up back for this game. I need find that long-gone enthusiasm of mine and start moving my lazy feet back into the court. Playing basketball in Wellington ain't that much fun, or I'm just too lazy to work my ways to make it enjoyable. Thus, rusty I have become. Owh, I just found out that there's a basketball tournament in the city tomorrow. I should check that out.

Pointless

Ah crap, I have no idea what to write anymore. The brain haven't come up with anything for me to argue about. Nothing for the mind to go critical. Maybe I read less nowadays, or don't go out that much. Yet, I do think I watch a lot of TV shows enough for me to have a lot to think and ponder about. Recent viewings; Dexter, Journeyman and my top favourite, 30 rock. Well, I guess I can talk about these fictional stories I just watch. Maybe.

Nahh.

I gonna go and do something else. Cheerio.

For Our Departing Friends

A group of TESL students is leaving Wellington for good tomorrow. It's been almost 2 years now they have been here in this capital city of New Zealand. There's not much I can tell though about this particular group of students studying here in Victoria University of Wellington. You guys might know better. Apparently my social life doesn't revolve much around them. Nonetheless, among them are a few friends that I deeply value and life here in Wellington can never be merrier without them.

TESL; Well, some of them during Ski Trip 2006


Sayda; Dikir Barat boss


Nada; Malaysian Night 2006, Malaysia Festival 2007


Sheila; M'sha


Leny and Aishah; Macam2 heh. Two of my favourites. :)


Aimi, Nisya and Nina; McKenzie 2006

Well, I guess I only manage to find that much photos for now. Thank you to all of you have contributed so much and making my life and others in Wellington so much fun all these years. I apologize for all my wrong doings and I do wish I could do something more. Hm, that doesn't sound right. Owh well, best of luck in your future undertakings and have fun back in Malaysia. Till we meet again.

Teleological Cosmos

As stated in previous entry, I'm eventually getting bored with blogging. Bored. I'm not sure whether that's the right word to use. Well, I guess I'll stick with it for the moment being. Why people actually blog anyway? Today Webster’s dictionary defines a blog as a “diary; a personal sequential log of thoughts published onto a web page," and it's actually commonly displayed in reverse chronological order where the latest entry appears first. Anyway, I don't think I want to go into that deep further critical assessment where blogging is related to political influence, business journals, educational tools, etc. Blogging, just as a personal diary for a typical everyday ordinary bloke such as I am.

Some people might use it to express opinions on matters they encounter in their daily life, to practice writing skills, or simply as a channel for personal frustrations. Some with the noble intention of adding into the world of knowledge or simply, just for fun. I have fun writing in this blog. Maybe I like to see myself growing to be a better writer in each entry. Maybe I like to voice out my opinions on certain stuffs which I won't bother to do in the outside world or on regular basis. Maybe I have no one that I could talk to lay out my personal inner thoughts, which ironically many people can read it anyway. Maybe I'm hoping that by writing joyful stuffs, some people might get inspired and they will cherish their lives as well and be happier everyday. Maybe this and that and so on and so forth.

I have no idea why I do this anyway. Purpose changes over different time, place, situation and consequences. Perhaps, I'm at a point where I couldn't find any of that purpose anymore. Some people like to write, and some just love to read. Some like to entertain, and some just love to be entertained. Some like to cook, and some just love to eat. I found myself to be in a certain common trend in doing things in my life. Although, I like to cook for myself, not others. Insecurity I think. Maybe I do care a little bit on how people judge on my special cuisines. Heh. Most of the time, I don't really care. Maybe I never did put much heart into cooking, or many stuffs that I do in life. Doing stuffs half-heartedly is one of my worst enemy I always have. My arch enemy. A fictional and seemingly metaphorical character which somewhat often appears around anywhere I go. I often find myself in battles between introversion and extroversion. Indecisive or confused. Possibly the cause for my half-hearted disease.

I have not yet to reach the point of quitting this blog. Everything in this entry was halfly written in metaphors. In description of many of other things I preciously value. I am a nobody. Writing some insignificant stuffs for readings I wonder whether if it gives you pleasure or any kind of benefit at all. I don't want to be a nobody anymore. I want to write something where it has value and people actually benefit from it. I want to make something worthy of my own contentment. I want to feel good about myself. This is not a channel for my own personal frustration. Maybe it is rather fictional or too melodramatic. Yet, I write for my own benefit, and I wish your readings will do the same for you too.

Enjoying Childhood

I'm not that in the mood to write anything much nowadays. Despite a year of having so much fun with this blog, I have soon to arrive at a point where I couldn't care that much anymore. Recently, everything I went through my life apparently brings more meaning in my life more than the whole last 3 years I went through. Good stuffs bad stuffs. Maybe just the epiphany I needed. Maybe not. The point is, maybe I eventually come to the point that I don't need to blog anymore. Perhaps.

A few days ago, I took a stroll down Lambton Quay, with the initial intention of getting myself a nice set of sushi at Midland Park. There's a books store nearby, Borders, something like MPH that we have back in Malaysia. I think it just opened for a couple of months and I did had that plan to come and hang out there for a bit but never did happen. Anyway, it was a nice sunny day and sushi can wait as I stray my way off my original course for the afternoon into the wonderful world of literature collections.

I used to love to hang out in MPH and read some books; self-helps, musics, comics, humor, etc. It was such a great refreshing feeling to wander inside a large books store like Borders. So many books to pick from and read freely and the eager feet lead me first to the kids and young adults section. Asterix and Tintin. My all-time favourite children literature. Nothing beats a nice sunny day shining through the large glazing walls of a large air-conditioned books store shading light for our ever so wonderful literature experience. Every second was such an enjoyable experience and sushi was never tasted so good afterward. Something about how a good feeling can last for a day or two and infect so many other things as well. For that day, a childhood pleasure with a bottle of Bundaberg Peaches and a nice set of sushi. Life is getting better. I wish for you readers as well.

Happy Anniversary NJB

Yesterday, 16 November 2007, marked a one year long of this blog that has been contributing ever so generously into my life. If this is blog was a girl, I'd be in big trouble for being late to remember our anniversary. Anyway, it has been a great 12 months we've been together and I wish for an everlasting happy us - well, perhaps, given what future may bring and blogging may ain't be cool no more. Anyway, cheers for all readers, whom had read, commented, made fun of this blog with others, or forward some stuffs in the spirit of sharing, I am blessed with great companion in my life - both cool and nerdy life. Thank you.

Going into a new chapter of this blog, my name is NJB and I'm still here to write. Hello.

A Tad Less Ordinary

What makes you feel like walking down the waterfront alone with reasons you didn't plan yet expecting to appear along the way? A single plan - to find more of other purposes for the journey. You choose one path of road of knowing nothing more than it's just a paved walkway searching for a certain number of steps suffice to feed the empty soul of what it desires. One small step for a man, a milestone for humanity and let say many of us are aiming for something in between.

Walking down Manners Mall, it was a small intention of having a light Sunday stroll of possibly a nice French Crepes or McDonald's Ice Cream Sundae. Some starts with a psychological barrier that nothing else is accepted other than a leisure walk or some might open up for possibilites of exploring the whole mall for potential self-complacency. In other words, are you flexible or paranoid of not trusting yourself? Some of us do love to create their own rules in life of what to do and what's not. Principle, is it's name to an extent. Anyway, humans are strong and weak, sometimes separately and frighteningly at the same time. Confidence and vulnerability is a mixture of sugar and salt and being an excellent chef myself, some cookings would require the pure balance of both and some might need more weight than another. You might prepare the meal for yourself and sometimes others and either way, you can't help yourself but to taste it before you serve them and thus, you learn in every steps that you make.

You choose one path, with a single note wrote as, "Walk down Moores Avenue," and that's all that you might need. The note was taken from your desk, not knowing who wrote it, with possibilites that you might have jotted it down yourself unconsciously. Regardless, you grab your jacket, a watch, cellphones and some cash and head down to town to try your luck. You see a young couple sitting down a small bench by the fountain as the man is accompanying his lady friend reading possibly an old issue of Asterix - good stuff. A kid is running away from a middle-aged man probably playing hide and seek - a weird one where the seeker, looking like a typical hobo holding out a stale candy stick. A car passes by, an old Mazda 323, reminds you of so many things a car could represent - good times, difficult journeys, irreplaceable company, annoying co-pilot, awesome air-conditioning, a night in town and a scar in life. That's the journey for today. You see a nice cafe down the road to the left, and thought that it was enough of a good walk down this Moores Avenue, you change path and stop by sitting next to an old friend, once a childhood love, an exceptional companion that cost you about $3 a cup. Looking back of the journey that teach you today that, never give your girlfriend your special copy of your favourite comic book, don't sell your car of 30 years and please, advice your child to never talk to strangers or better of, don't let them wandering alone on streets you might never know it's kidnappers day out.

A journey can bring you so many things in forms of unlimited possibilites - driving down Highway One, walking on the beach, eating pancakes, falling in love, robbing a bank, buying a watch or writing out your thoughts. What you see now, what past you have stood by, and things you might enjoy in the near future. Life is beautiful. I said it before. I'm painting it in new colours I just found at Mitre 10. It got this special marbly effect - kinda nice. I got it with a marker, I'm no expressionist of an artist, I would just doodle something at the end, just to humour myself with stickmen cartoons.

Values and Cultural Variation

Value, as defined in management terms, is what you believe that a particular way of doing stuffs or that state of existence of things is personally and socially preferred than the opposite one. Meaning, there are times that when you want to do that stuff, you need to go right because going left will make you morally wrong.

Value, that you believe nonetheless, does not necessarily bring the same meaning to someone else. What you think is right, is most probably perceived as wrong by that another person - and vice versa. Moreover, when we actually have this differences between us, each of us changes from one time to another, from this place to there and from one circumstance to another. It gets more complicated.

Empirical. Stubborn. Skeptics. Pessimist. Nihilism.

Anyway, people are different among geographical position and time lived on Earth and sometimes you yourself even change through time, place and different circumstances. At the end, some of us gave up on understanding others and sadly, settle for the easiest option available. It's rather human nature really, we tend to go for the easiest option. What works for us the easiest way and not what's the most effective and beneficial alternative for all of us to enjoy. Ah. A sniff of denial. No, we aren't that way. Some of us do think of others and strive for living life joyfully together.

Dominant Values Through Generations

Protestant Work Ethic (1940s - 1950s)
Strive for hard work and value conservation.

Existentialism (1960s - 1970s)
Working for quality of life, seeking independence and value for individual self-being.

Pragmatism (1970s - 1990s)
Raising importance of ambition and achievement and value loyalty in career.

Generation X (1990s - present)
Exercise flexibility and secure self-satisfaction and leisure time and emphasize on loyalty to social relationships.

Well, all above are just extracted from a management theory came up by the Americans, which I took from my lecture notes. Heh. It just something to ponder about when we have differences between us - that some of us value the importance of striving for personal achievement and others who value more of impact on social conduct. Well, you can believe whatever you want to believe. It's your choice to do decide on what you want to do on anything. I'm actually at a point that malas nak tulis dah. Apparently I'm not that fit to write much anymore. Well, it's something for you guys to think I guess. I might write something more profound in the future I hope. What is good for you is not necessarily good for me. However, there is this possibility that it is. Welcome to the casino of life.

Happy holiday my fellow readers.