Price of Dad's Time

SON: "Daddy, may I ask you a question?" DAD: "Yeah sure, what is it?" SON: "Daddy, how much do you make an hour?" DAD: "That's none of your business. Why do you ask such a thing?" SON: "I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?" DAD: "If you must know, I make $100 an hour." SON: "Oh! (With his head down). SON: "Daddy, may I please borrow $50?" The father was furious. DAD: "If the only reason you asked that is so you can borrow some money to buy a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think about why you are being so selfish. I work hard everyday for such this childish behavior." The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door. The man sat down and started to get even angrier about the little boy's questions. How dare he ask such questions only to get some money? After about an hour or so, the man had calmed down, and started to think: Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that $ 50 and he really didn't ask for money very often. The man went to the door of the little boy's room and opened the door. DAD: "Are you asleep, son?" SON: "No daddy, I'm awake". DAD: "I've been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier. It's been a long day and I took out my aggravation on you. Here's the $50 you asked for." The little boy sat straight up, smiling.   SON: "Oh, thank you daddy!"   Then, reaching under his pillow he pulled out some crumpled up bills. The man saw that the boy already had money, started to get angry again. The little boy slowly counted out his money, and then looked up at his father. DAD: "Why do you want more money if you already have some?" SON: "Because I didn't have enough, but now I do. Daddy, I have $100 now. Can I buy an hour of your time? Please come home early tomorrow. I would like to have dinner with you."   The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little son, and he begged for his forgiveness. It's just a short reminder to all of you working so hard in life. We should not let time slip through our fingers without having spent some time with those who really matter to us, those close to our hearts. Do remember to share that $100 worth of your time with someone you love? If we die tomorrow, the company that we are working for could easily replace us in a matter of days. But the family and friends we leave behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives. And come to think of it, we pour ourselves more into work than to our family. Some things are more important.

An 87 Year Old College Student Named Rose

The first day of school our professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know someone we didn't already know.
 

I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder. I turned round to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me
with a smile that lit up her entire being.

She said, "Hi handsome. My name is Rose. I'm eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?"

I laughed and enthusiastically responded, "Of course you may!" and she gave me a giant squeeze.
 

"Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?" I asked.

She jokingly replied, "I'm here to meet a rich husband, get married, and have a couple of  kids..."

"No seriously." I asked. I was curious what may have motivated her to be taking on this challenge at her age.

"I always dreamed of having a college education and now I'm getting one!" she told me.

After class we walked to the student union building and shared a chocolate milkshake. We became instant friends. Every day for the next three months, we would leave class together and talk nonstop. I was always mesmerized listening to this "time machine" as she shared her wisdom and experience with me. 

Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon and she easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up and she reveled in the attention bestowed upon her from the other students. She was living it up.  At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet. I'll never forget what she taught us. She was introduced and stepped up to the podium.

As she began to deliver her prepared speech, she dropped her three by five cards on the floor. Frustrated and a little embarrassed she leaned into the microphone and simply said, "I'm sorry I'm so jittery. I gave up beer for Lent and this whiskey is killing me! I'll never get my speech back in order so let me just tell  you what I know."

As we laughed she cleared her throat and began, "We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing. There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy, and achieving success. You have to laugh and find humor every day. You've got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die.
 

We have so many people walking around who are dead and don't even know it! There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up.

If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don't do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old.

If I am eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything I will turn eighty-eight.
 

Anybody can grow older. That doesn't take any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding opportunity in change.
 

Have no regrets.

The elderly usually don't have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets."

She concluded her speech by courageously singing "The Rose." She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our daily lives.

At the year's end Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those years ago. One week after graduation Rose died  peacefully in her sleep.

Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to the wonderful woman who taught by example that it's never too late to be all you can possibly be .When you finish reading this, please send this peaceful word of advice to your friends and family, they'll really enjoy it!

These words have been passed along in loving memory of ROSE.

REMEMBER, GROWING OLDER IS MANDATORY. GROWING UP IS
OPTIONAL.

We make a Living by what we get, We make a Life by what we give.

Source: http://bit.ly/11DPPnx
http://bit.ly/QsGCIt   

"The Rose"

Some say love, it is a river
That drowns the tender reed.
Some say love, it is a razor
That leaves your soul to bleed.
Some say love, it is a hunger,
An endless aching need.
I say love, it is a flower,
And you its only seed.

It's the heart afraid of breaking
That never learns to dance.
It's the dream afraid of waking
That never takes the chance.
It's the one who won't be taken,
Who cannot seem to give,
And the soul afraid of dyin'
That never learns to live.

When the night has been too lonely
And the road has been too long,
And you think that love is only
For the lucky and the strong,
Just remember in the winter
Far beneath the bitter snows
Lies the seed that with the sun's love
In the spring becomes the rose.

I am an IDOL

I AM AN IDOL

Before you go on with the entry, I would like to say:

Congrats to Regina Ivanova for winning INDONESIAN IDOL 2012 and to Kamasean Y. Matthews for being great contender to Regina. Both of you are the winner. Battle is not over yet, it is just started.

For those who didn't know who they are, both are grand finalist for INDONESIAN IDOL 2012.

Watch this YouTube video to listen to her voice:

I hope that you like what you heard. Regina won the title of INDONESIAN IDOL 2012.

Now it made me thought: WHAT IS IDOL? WHO IS IDOL?

If we see from the dictionary.com, then the meaning of IDOL will be:

"any person or thing regarded with blind admiration, adoration, or devotion: Madame Curie had been her childhood idol."

If you see the title, then you will conclude that I'm so full of myself stated: I AM AN IDOL.

Actually you are right, I think myself as an IDOL, not just a mere blind admiration/adoration/devotion but a full impact to others people life. As you can see from my previous entries, I believe that people who read them can at least gain something. With this in mind, I want to call myself an IDOL then. Not a celebrity or popular figure, but a mere boy with motivation to touch people's lives. No, I don't want to be like a famous public figure. i just want to share my thoughts. If you like it, it's good enough for me. If you disagree with me, I love to hear from you.

I personally believe that everyone should be an IDOL. Yes we ought to be a role model for others. Not saying that we are all mighty but knowing that we are imperfect and accept the nature of it. Like my entry: NOTHING IS PERFECT, I'm sorry to say you can't find any "perfect" things in the world. There must be flaw somewhere, though it's just a small little one. But what I like is, our effort to be perfect, to achieve what is IMPOSSIBLE and finally can find the answer of our questions. This is what I would like you to have in mind. We are a social being, affected by others. Hence we need to see, learn, and adapt from our environment. And this is for me an IDOL is being a good example (not necessarily perfect).

If we only care about outside appearance, then celebrity or famous people can be IDOL. But I don't think their appearance that defines IDOL. Remember my notes about Susan Boyle (What's wrong with SusanBoyle?). I would like to share the story of Regina now. She has been a cafe singer for some years. Her dream was to be next INDONESIAN IDOL or at least famous singer. She tried to go for the very first INDONESIAN IDOL. Unfortunately she didn't make it to finalist. She tried again the next year and again she failed. Maybe she was not that good at that time. Maybe her appearance affected the result or any other reasons. She tried 6 times to enter INDONESIAN IDOL. And again she got disappointed. But she tried one more time. Yes this year, she made it to be one of 12 finalists. And amazingly she won the title. After 6/7 years disappointment, she made it to the end and achieved a great result by winning the competition. This is for me an IDOL.

 For me this is what defines an IDOL, their effort and story. And I believe all of them have their own story to be told. Even people like Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Madonna, or even Michael Jackson. They seem to enjoy world as celebrity but trust me there are some price to pay for that. Everything comes with no "free money". Hence I don't need to be famous/rich/glamour/handsome/celebrity to be an IDOL. I’m IDOL for myself and people around me. So I proudly say that I AM AN IDOL.

Can you be the next IDOL like me? The answer is ABSOLUTELY YES. You can be an IDOL and role model for others. A teacher is IDOL for students. Student will learn and take from their teacher. So be responsible teacher for them. You will DEFINITELY affect your student future. Parent is IDOL for their family. They are the first IDOL their children ever met. Unfortunately many of them didn't realize it. They act as they like and don't care about the children. They think money is the source of happiness. They run catching money and forget the family. Remember dad and mom, what you did will be the reflection of your child future and behaviour. It's just a simple example and all sort of life can be IDOL. Whether you are rich/poor, boos/employee, President/servant, religious/lay person, you can be one. It doesn't matter if you are a doctor/lawyer/teacher/housewife/trader/maid or anything else. What you need is a seed of "IDOL" in your heart. Every time you think, speak, and act, remember that you are an IDOL. Repeat the mantra "I AM AN IDOL". If you are ready to do it, do it right and responsibly.

You, yes you, the one reading this blog now. You are an IDOL for people around you even people you haven't met before. Like me, there is high possibility that I don't even know you but thanks for reading my blog. Thanks to spare your precious time to read my entry. And I hope and pray that you will get something out of my blog. I have faith in this. And I hope you can share and continue to be a blessing for others by starting your own blog for example. Or share motivational words through Facebook or Twitter or others social media. Share this entry if you feel benefited from it. There is no such thing as little action. The small step that you take will lead you to endless possibility. And be surprised to find out that you are an IDOL for someone else. BE AN IDOL.

~Wilson Wijaya, Lee/8 July 2012~

Question about LIFE: Have you???

Purpose of Life

If you follow my twitter account then you will know what I'm talking about.

Well for those who have no idea what I'm talking about well let me quote my twitter:

Question about life:1. Have you found joy in your life? 2. Have you brought joy to other people life? 3. Have you made meaning of your life?

~Wilson Wijaya, Lee/30 June 2012~

This tweet later  gained comment from one of my best friend:

Friend: Not at all. Any solution for this?

Me: I'm also on the way to find the answer. Everyone will surely have different answer. Depend on your own standard.

Then you will ask me, how the hell I get to ask these questions?

\This morning, 3AM to be exact, I watched The Bucket List on TV. The movie was really good and keep me reflecting on myself how far I have went. What will be on my bucket list to achieve before I "kick the bucket"? Where is the end of it and when will the end come?

There was conversation on movie on Greek paradise, to be able to pass the gate you have to answer the questions. Then what will be you answer, have you thought about it before? It's funny to know that most of the time we life our life as it is.

Well people say let it flow like river stream till it find the final end.

However to live my life to fullest I need to know what the purpose of my life. Sure enough I believe all of you also looking for the most final answer. What is the purpose of your life?

I think through this question we can narrow down our meditation about purpose life.

1. To find joy in our life.

2. To share the joy with others.

Hence we can make a meaningful life in our road to final end.

Either you believe in  God or not, heaven or hell, karma, etc the life is too good to be wasted. We only have one life; unless you believe in reincarnation. Though you believe that you will be born again, you will not repeat the same life. Each life is unique and different according to you.

I'm not a spiritual leader nor a wise old man. I don't really like to have a deep thought and meditation. However it struck me to think about my life. The thinking is so deep yet so engaging to keep me go deeper. In religion they tell you that purpose of life is to be together with your creator, to be free from all misery, and to find final rest and peace.

Knowing that it doesn't make my life can go in waste and doing nothing.

Living my life to fullest give more meaning by making a way to make a value of my life.

I won't teach you how to live you life, it's your choice to make.

But I would like to engage you in reflection and thinking how you want to fill your life.

If you choose to make a meaning in life, please do so.

If you do otherwise, I will not against it as long as you don't disturb others.

Answering the Question

Back to my friend comment, any solution to answer the question. No, I have no solution till now, you can follow Buddha, Jesus, Muhammad, or any other religious figure on earth. Else you can make your own spiritual guide on answering the question. I think the best answer is YOU, yes it depends on how YOU see and live it. I will try to help you answering the question through reflecting question. Let me break the explanation to each question:

1. Have you found joy in your life?

Before answering this question, please answer the following question in your heart. Give a thought. What is joy in your life? Having a lot of money? Having a big house? Having a big name and famous? So far what have you done to make it happen in your life? Education? Religion? Work? What defines the joy in your life? What values that effect you? Religion? Philosophy? Social norm?

Joy is a joy as long as it fill your heat. For me a joy is when a mother gives birth with love to her child. Joy is when a father dies to protect his child. Joy is when a child can live a happy life with their parent.

I may not be rich to found joy, may be my poor situation make me find joy and value in money.

I may not be clever to found joy, completing degree with my best effort is a joy for me.

I may not be religious to found joy, having a simple prayer in my room is joy of life.

As you can see the situation and condition limit the meaning of joy.

They define and make meaning of joy itself and back to YOU.

Hence the answer I suggest is WHAT DO YOU THINK?

2. Have you brought joy to other people life?

Well this is an arrogance question. I could say I have big impact for thousands or billions lives. If you see it like that, Jesus or Buddha or Muhammad have brought joys to their follower. Then until we can be like them, we have not brought any joy to other people. WRONG, I don't think so. Even just one people means that I have brought joy to him/her. Have you treated your spouse well? Have you loved them as yourself?

A teacher gives joy to student trough teaching. A mother gives joy to her child through love and care. A man gives joy to a woman though sharing of love and life. A simple smile can bring thousand joy to some people but at the same time can bring sadness. Everything has two side of coin in it, bad and good. Again it backs to situation and condition how it will turn out.

Money can bring joy to a family but at the same time can be a disaster. Love can bring joy to people but at the same time can hurt them deeply. To bring joy to people for me means to know what to offer to them. Simple conversation can be a joy. Your presence can be be a joy. A kiss can be a joy. Hence the answer I suggest is WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?

3. Have you made a meaning of your life?

If wasting your life is what you chose, then you have made meaning of it. If developing your talents made you happy, then you have made it. If having family is your sole purpose, then you have got it. A value comes from the owner how he/she values the value. If you see my past entry on Words about Working Bryan Dyson said:

Value has value only if its value is valued.

I think this the answer of this question. A meaning has a purpose and mean only if you give the meaning to it. Hence the answer I suggest is WHAT MEANING YOU GIVE MEANING TO IT?

Conclusion

A life is only life until you give meaning to it.

Whether you will succeed in your life or you will fail it, the decision is yours.

The question can be a guide to you to pass though the road of life.

You can make it as a mere question that pass you one day.

Or you can make it as obsession to fulfill your desire.

Else you can make it as guide and reference to move on.

I aint a teacher nor a philosopher, just a normal student of knowledge and wisdom.

However don't get blinded by the question till you forget what is truly important.

Stay still, stop, think, and reflect is good as long as you decide the next step.

If you stop at some point and  not moving on, I wish that is the point when you have found the answer.

If not then i suggest you to keep moving forward with new perspective.

Life is a choice whatever you chose please be responsible about it.

~Wilson Wijaya, Lee/30 June 2012~

Who is She? My Mother

Brief Career History

 The author interviewed Madam Lim, a single mother in her late 50. Her husband just passed away on May 2010. She runs a medium restaurant selling variance of food and a small bakery shop. She has four children, three daughters and one son. The oldest daughter is a dentist, currently working at family clinic. The second daughter is a medical student, currently serving as intern. The son is a university student, currently studying in the last year. The youngest daughter is an accountancy student, currently studying in second year.

Madam Lim is a Chinese descendant. She can speak Mandarin and some dialects. She was in food and beverage industry for almost 21 years. She started by helping her husband in running the business since her husband is illiterate. She, herself, was not degree holder. She only finished her Junior College. Due to her family financial background, she couldn’t pursue university degree. She started to work since young to help her poor family. She has nine siblings.

Madam Lim is brilliant and smart even though she couldn’t enjoy university life. She has sharp thinking, excellent communication skills, and good management skills. She picked those skills by herself through the experiences she has undergone. Madam Lim managed to expand her husband business from a small restaurant to a medium restaurant with strong customers’ loyalty. The restaurant is well known for their fast serving and delicious food. She also managed to open a small bakery shop, catered to birthday and wedding cake, along with the restaurant. On top of that she successfully entered her four children to university. Even some people didn’t believe that she could do that.

 She is also an entrepreneur. On May 2010, her husband passed away due to sudden heart attack. Then she has to manage the restaurant and the bakery shop alone. She struggled with the family economy to sustain her three children education cost. Due to the economy recession, the business didn’t go well. Luckily she got opportunity to open family dental clinic together with other relatives. She also joined her friends in other business projects. She is a good risk analyst, excellent predictor, and deep thinker.

The fairy tale is too good to be true. In fact she was diagnosed with diabetes type II, a genetic illness (Amy Adams, 2000). In spite of her illness she continued to fight and pursue her dream. She wanted to see all her children to be successful in the future by having university degree. She continued running the restaurant and bakery shop; and looking after other business. She is a strong-willed person.

A Letter to Dad

Last Sunday, we celebrated Father's Day.
For all fathers: Happy Father's Day, may you be a light and salt for the family.
For all children: Happy celebrating Father's Day, be a good child to your dad.
For all wives and mothers: Happy to see you with your loved one, may this will go to eternity.
And for those who don't have father: Happy to you who still have memory of your beloved father.

 And like me, who don't have the warm of father's hug anymore, we can only bring the memory of him.
Indeed we know that our father live forever in paradise.
Now I feel the pain of having no father around and envy them who still have complete family.
Happy are those whose family has both arm of father and mother.

This is just a letter that express my feeling towards my father.
It can be a reflection for you who miss your dad.
And also a reflection for you who still have dad to talk to and speak to.

I think I will do this more often to express my thought and feeling.
A letter to my dad who will never be able to read this.
A letter to my dad who is happy now in God's house.
A letter to my dad who will always pray for his son.

 

Dear Dad,

How are yo now? It's been a long time I see your face. Are you still healthy as before?
Are you happy there in God's house? Is that place better than home hence you leave first?
Don't you know how much mom cried near you asking you why you had to leave first?
Are you still that fat as before or have you slimmed down a bit?

Dad, I never imagined to say this, but I miss you now.
I really missed the time we had a conversation.
I really missed the time we spent time together as one family.
I really missed the time we had dinner together in our big table.

When you left us alone in silence, I asked God, why now? Why not later?
I never imagined to lose one of my parent so young when I still need them the most.
I don't care if my friend called me "spoiled brat".
I enjoy the time we had together, though you never speak a lot of words to me.
Though the memory I had are both smile and cry, happiness and sadness.
I always blame God for this, even till today.
Though I said to my self and friends I'm OK, I will never be OK.
I will never be the same anymore.
My heart was broken the moment I heard the news. I cried, I shouted, I went insane.

You left me before you saw me in my glory.
It was just one more year before I graduated, the moment you have been waiting for even till the last of your breathe. Why couldn't you wait for that moment? Why must God take you earlier?
People said that I didn't cry at all during your wake.
How could I cry if I really didn't understand what happened?
How could I make my mom sadder by crying with her?
How could I cry if I'm the only son in the family who has to be strong?
People just don't understand the pain that I felt that time.
I was pain that even tears couldn't wash it away.

But it was history. It was yesterday. It was my past part of my life story book.
I need to move on with my life and I believe you want me also to do the same.
Dad, did you know that now I have graduated?
Did you know how I wished you could see my graduation?
Did you know how I wanted to have picture taken with you in my robe?
How i wished you are seated there in the auditorium to see me in that stage.

I can't be a filial son to you.
Even now I was facing problem, I really don't know what to do.
Could you tell me what to do?
I can't meet my mom expectation and i believe it is also your expectation.
Have I failed you as a son?
Have I been a embarrassment to you?
I may not be the smartest student in my class.
I may not be the highest paid among my peers.
Surely I may not have  the proudest job among my friend
Do feel that I am a failure?
I wished you could talk and console me, how I want you to be with me, support me, and encourage me.
Let me be selfish this one time, dad I want to e just a child.
I don't want to grow up and be adult.
I just want to be with you like last time when I need not to worry  about anything at all.
Could I have that moment one more time and stay still?

I wish you all the best there dad. Enjoy your new life without pain and sadness.
Please watch me here with all your love.
Though in the silence, pray for your child to prove the world.
Let me be the son that make you proud the most.
Let me live your legacy here and to pay them who looked down on you.
I will make sure that they will pay every penny that they spent to mock you and mom.
I will defeat the world that has been hard on you and mom.
I will make sure your name will be remembered.

Please wait for me there. Till I come back to you, please be healthy and strong.
Protect our family and guard us with your shield.
Let me prove my self to you for once and all.

With love,

Your son

In Memoriam:

Me and My Dad

Words about WORKING

"Working Quotes"

Here some interesting speeches/quotes that I found very true.
I like to share it with my friends around the world.
Hope you guys can learn something from the inspiring words.

1. Bryan Dyson, Former CEO of Coca Cola

2. Unknown

A Story about LOVE

One, young, academically excellent person went to apply for a managerial position in a big company.

He passed the first interview. The director who did the last interview, made the last decision.

The director discovered from the CV that the youth's academic achievements were excellent all the way, from the secondary school until the postgraduate research. He never had a year when he did not score.

The director asked, "Did you obtain any scholarships in school?" The youth answered "none".

The director asked, "Was it your father who paid for your school fees?" The youth answered, "My father passed away when I was one year old. It was my mother who paid for my school fees."
 

The director asked, "Where did your mother work?" The youth answered, "My mother worked as a clothes cleaner." The director requested the youth to show his hands. The youth showed a pair of hands that were smooth and perfect.

The director asked, "Have you ever helped your mother wash the clothes before?" The youth answered, "Never, my mother always wanted me to study and read more books. Furthermore, my mother can wash clothes faster than me."
 

The director said, "I have a request. When you go back today, go and clean your mother's hands and then see me tomorrow morning."

The youth felt that his chance of landing the job was high. When he went back, he happily requested his mother to let him clean her hands. His mother felt strange, but with mixed feelings, she showed her hands to her son.

The youth cleaned his mother's hands slowly. His tears fell as he did that. It was the first time he noticed that his mother's hands were so wrinkled and that there were so many bruises in her hands. Some bruises were so painful that his mother shivered when they were cleaned with water.

This was the first time the youth realized that it was this pair of hands that washed the clothes every day to enable him to pay the school fee. The bruises in the mother's hands were the price that the mother had to pay for his graduation, academic excellence and his future.

After finishing the cleaning of his mother hands, the youth quietly washed all the remaining clothes for his mother.

That night, mother and son talked for a very long time.

Next morning, the youth went to the director's office.

The Director noticed the tears in the youth's eyes and asked, "Can you tell me what you did and learned yesterday in your house?"

The youth answered, "I cleaned my mother's hands, and also finished cleaning all the remaining clothes."

The Director asked, "Please tell me your feelings."

The youth said, Number 1, I know now the meaning of appreciation. Without my mother, there would not be the successful me today. Number 2, by working together and helping my mother, only now I realize how difficult and tough it is to get something done. Number 3, I have come to appreciate the importance and value of family relationship.

The director said, " This is what I am looking for in my new manager. I want to recruit a person who can appreciate the help of others, a person who knows the sufferings of others to get things done, and a person who would not put money as his only goal in life. Son,you are hired."
 

Later on, this young person worked very hard, and received the respect of his subordinates. Every employee worked diligently and as a team. The company's performance improved tremendously.

A child, who has been over protected and habitually given whatever he or she wanted, would develop the entitlement mentality and would always put himself first. He would be ignorant of his parent's efforts. When he starts work, he assumes that every person must listen to him, and when he becomes a manager, he would never know the sufferings of his employees and would always blame others. This kind of person, may be good academically and may be successful for a while, but eventually would not feel a sense of achievement. He will grumble and be full of hatred and fight for more.
 

If we are this kind of protective parents, are we really showing love or are we destroying the kid instead?*

You can let your kid live in a big house, eat good meals, learn piano, watch a big screen TV. But when you are cutting grass, please let him experience it. After a meal, let him wash his plates and bowls together with his brothers and sisters. It is not because you do not have money to hire a maid, but it is because you want to love him in the right way. You want him to understand, no matter how rich his parents are, one day their hair will grow gray, same as the mother of that young man . The most important thing is your kid learns how to appreciate the effort and experience the difficulty and learns the ability to work with others to get things done.

The Process/The Outcome

I thought this matter for very long time now.
I asked my friends, seniors, and fellow teachers.
They had different views about this matter.

Suddenly, today, this evening, after celebrating my friends' birthday
this topic came out in our conversation.
Sorry to my friend for making him angry talking about this.
I didn't mean that.
But, it's interesting to talk about this matter.
And also I want to know your opinion about this matter:

"What is more important the process or the outcome?"

You can talk about your mark/grade/title/degree or whatever.
OK to help you, let's just focus on our grade/mark, especially for NTU's student.
We know that in our graduation we will get honour, whether 1st class, 2nd upper, 2nd lower, 3rd class, or pass with merit.
Do you think this is more important than your four years study in university?
What do you look, good honour or good process?

In my honest opinion, I do agree that process is above the mark, although mark is also important.
Having good process will and will not result in good mark.
However it ensures that we had good knowledge and information about the subject.
Mark is not the first and only measurement to decide the understanding of the student.
Especially your mark is mostly affected by 2,5 hours paper at examination hall.
There could be a lot of things happen during the exam that make the student not perform well.
For example, having stomachache will disturb your concentration.
Or you are so nervous so you forget how to solve the problem, make stupid mistake due to not be careful in answering the question.
The student also have feeling of burden because the exam will surely make you grade.
Is it fair to judge the student only in the 2,5 hours?
How about their process during the one semester?
Don't they have other chance?
Just because they fail in the exam, their grade will certainly go down.

But, we can't blind about the mark/grade.
It's also important.
That's our first impression to the company so that they call us for interview.
My friend told me before what the mark/grade meant for company or interviewer.
The manager of a finance company told him that mark/grade expressed your seriousness in study.
Having good mark/grade means you are very serious in study and will be also the same in working.
But I argued that how come he told from the mark/grade.
I know for sure (well from my experience) that sometimes even though I have put much effort on one subject, at the end I just got "enough" mark.
What is the standard of the "seriousness"? Is it A+, A, or A-?
How about the other grade, B, B+, B-?
Don't they who didn't get A put less effort than them who got A?

Unfortunately the company see the mark/grade first before your personality.
Well at least to get interview, you need to get at least 2nd lower.
That's the reality of workplace.
That's the fact about the world now.
To get in first you must have good mark/grade because with that they believe you have good knowledge and ability for the company.
Good mark/grade means you are cleverer than others. In this competition era you need to differentiate and good mark/grade is how you differ from others.
After that your interview will decide everything.
You need to show all your ability and persuade the interviewer that you're capable for the job.
So is your mark or your process more important?
Well it's up to you to decide.
I want to know your opinion.

In life truly marks are not important.
It's your skills and abilities which will make you be a successful person.
But in order to get in you must make the first good impression with good mark/grade.
Having good process will or will not lead you to good outcome.
But learning and knowing how to make the good outcome surely add your skill.
Is the experience the good teacher, isn't it?
What will we follow, the ideal world or the real world?
I know for sure we live in the real world which sometimes doesn't follow the ideal one.
Now it's time for you to speak up.

What's wrong with Susan Boyle?

Susan Boyle, 47 years old woman from British Got Talent. She is not really pretty lady. She is far away from entertainer's look like we often see on television. She is not really sexually attractive. She said she hasn't been kissed and lived with her cat in her house. But she has something that sometimes people forgot to see: DREAM.

I believe all of you know about her, at least heard about her. The phenomenal audition in British Got talent has struck everyone who watched it. More than 25 million viewers and still can grow more watch the audition on youtube. It's funny, isn't it.

What does make her so different?

I watched the audition for more than 20 times now. I looked for comment video from yotube; NBC, CNN, and other news program. There is a interesting comment made by the anchor:


"If Susan is pretty, sexy lady, will she become famous like this? It's just because she is not beautiful. It makes her interesting."

Well, I can say I agree and disagree with that.
Yes, it becomes interesting since she is not pretty.
But, she is truly beautiful.
She is full of confidence, brave, and never stopping to dream.
She chosen a right song for her audition "I dreamed a dream-Les Miserables"
Susan Boyle's audition

Like the Amanda, one of the judges of BGT, said:

 
"I'm so thrilled because I knew everybody was against you.
I honestly think that we were all being cynical and IT'S THE BIGGEST WAKE UP CALL EVER, and I just want to say that it's a complete privilege to listening to that."

Yup, that's what Susan brought to us. A wake up call. Never judge a book from its cover. From simple, humble, and unattractive woman, come out beautiful voice like an angel. We tend to think ugly people, the less attractive ones, is not important. They make our world become ugly, not beautiful.
They are like eyesore and need to be disposed or be covered.

What make Susan become superstar is not 100% her voice.
I agree she has beautiful voice, but other people also have it.
What she has that make her different is DREAM.

She dreamed for 47 years to sing in front of many people.
She dreamed for 47 years to become professional singer.
She dreamed for 47 years to rock her audience.

And this what sometimes other programs forgot to bring to surface. Not only family background, social background, appearance, but also about hope and dream. Idol program is here to make dream of person like Susan to become reality. We have a lot of entertainer with good look, sexy body, nice voice,and young age. But we do need person like Susan who teaches us never stop dreaming.

Someday your dream will come true and you need to believe it.

Even though people look down on you.
Even though people mock you in public.
Even though people laugh at you.
Even though people say it can't happen.
Even though people don't support you.
Just believe in yourself.

Show the world you have talent.
Roar to the world your voice.
Shout to the world your dream.
Tell the world your talent and dream.
That's what Susan has taught us and me.

"I dreamed a dream in time gone by
When hope was high,
And life worth living
I dreamed that love would never die
I dreamed that God would be forgiving."